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Copyright 2018en-USTea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/tea-review-countess-citron-tulsi-milana-company
http://comparetea.com/tea-review-countess-citron-tulsi-milana-companyFor this post, we're reviewing an interesting herbal tisane blend from The Milana Company. It's a Canada-based company that aims to promote a healthy lifestyle by bringing together principles from the East and West, and using the finest authentic ingredients to craft high quality tea.

Holy basil (Tulsi) is popular for its therapeutic properties. Its use dates back over 3,000 years in India, where it is regarded as a sacred plant. While it has many medicinal benefits, holy basil is best known as an anti-stress agent (adaptogen). It is commonly used to manage or treat anxiety and fatigue. Research shows that it could also affect the immune system, urinary system, and even the cardiovascular system.

Calendula is regarded for its anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties.It could also aid in easing muscle cramps and could be used to treat PMS cramps.

Ginger is popular for its medicinal properties. Many use it to treat different forms of nausea. You could also use it for exercise-induced muscle soreness and pain.

Lemongrass is often used to treat stomach ache, pain, common colds, and cough.

Just by looking at these benefits, we could already tell we'll be enjoying a soothing and relaxing cup of tea!

Look and Aroma

I've acquired the habit of sniffing the tea pack when we open one for tasting. And really, Countess Citron Tulsi smelled so good. I could just close my eyes and enjoy its aroma.

The dry leaves smell strongly of ginger and lemongrass with subtle floral hints. When steeping, the brew has a spicy and minty aroma.

Taste

For this session, I used a teaspoonfull of tea leaves and was able to make two rounds of tea using my gaiwan (that could hold about 100 ml). I think I could have done three rounds with the leaves because I still got great flavor on the second round.

I was worried that the tea would have a strong gingery taste because the aroma of ginger really stood out. But it didn't.

The ingredients perfectly blended together and created a well balanced flavor that is smooth and soothing. I didn't have to use any sweetener. The flavor is perfect on its own. In addtion, the tea doesn't have any astringency to it, which was really great!

Experience

Overall, I love Countess Citron Tulsi. For me, I had a better experience with it when the tea is piping hot but the recommended temperature is 100-degree Celsius.

Because it's caffeine-free, I prefer to drink it in the afternoon or evening, but you can have it anytime of the day. It's the kind of tea you'd drink after a long day, when you need a pick-me-up, or when you're feeling sick and need to rejuvenate.

Ready to order Countess Citron Tulsi or want to learn more about the Milana Company's tea collections? Check out https://themilanaco.com/ for more info!

CompareTea received a sample to review. We made sure to keep our review as honest and unbiased as possible for the benefit of our readers.

]]>Aileen2018-05-31T00:00:00+00:00Tea Lifestylehttp://comparetea.com/get-teabox-sample-pack
http://comparetea.com/get-teabox-sample-packWe hope you like our reviews and the products we feature. Just FYI, Comparetea collects a share of sales from the links on this post, which supports our work.

I have wanted to try Teabox for a while now but haven't gotten around to ordering from them. As a start to my year, I finally decided to give them a try and see why they are a hit to many of my friends.

411 on Teabox

Teabox is a online tea shop that source their teas from India and Nepal. They offer monthly subscription boxes, loose leaf teas, and tea bags — or teapacs as they call it.

The first thing I liked about them (and this has nothing to do with their teas per se) is how easy it is to shop from their website. Their products are conveniently categorized according to types, regions, flavors, and collections. I'm not very particular about the regions but if you are, you'd love shopping from Teabox.

I also like that they took the time to put as much information as possible on their product pages. Buying tea online is a challenge. For some, it's often a hit and miss — especially if you're getting tea from a brand you haven't tried in the past. Apart from the usual tea description, taste, aroma, steeping instruction, picking date, and customer reviews, you'll also find details on ingredients (for tea blends), appearance of the liquor, caffeine level, complements, and condiments.

Teabox Sample Packs

Because this is the first time I'm getting tea from Teabox, I decided to get one of their sample packs. As of this writing, they have 27 sample packs with prices ranging between $10 and $536.

I got their Collection for Beginners, which includes 10 samples of different tea varieties. I chose this pack because the set has a lot of black tea varieties. It also includes a chai sample, an oolong, a green tea, a white tea, and some tea blends.

So, I got a total of 13 packs for $23 and paid $10 for shipping. I'd say that's a good deal. Delivery was also quite fast. I ordered on January 6 and got the package delivered on January 12.

I have probably opened four to five packs in this collection and I have yet to be disappointed. I am wary about tea with any astringent characteristics and so far, the ones I've tried have none. Most of the ones I've opened have broken leaves. While I prefer whole leaf or full leaf, this isn't something I'd complain about. These teas (at least the ones I've already tried) are delicious!

Teabox offers a range of tea varieties from black and green teas to white teas, oolongs, and tea blends. Getting a sample pack is a great way to know if Teabox is your cup of tea. And if you like them, you can save yourself the trouble of ordering when you're out of tea by signing up for a monthly subscription and enjoy different types of teas every month.

]]>Aileen2018-01-15T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/tea-tasting-taiwan-wild-black-tea-kuan-yin-teas
http://comparetea.com/tea-tasting-taiwan-wild-black-tea-kuan-yin-teasWe hope you love our reviews and the products we recommend. Just FYI, Comparetea may collect a small share of sales from some links in this post.

When it comes to tea, Taiwan is popular for its oolong, black tea, and green tea. I got really excited when I received this in the mail because we've mostly just reviewed Chinese teas and this is our first Taiwanese tea review.

Kuan Yin Teas offers a wide range of tea varieties. Apart from black tea and Taiwan tea, they also have oolongs, pu-erh, organic teas, and of course, your usual green tea, and white tea. They also have teas from Japan and India.

Tea Basics

Name: Taiwanese Wild Black Tea

Brand: Kuan Yin Teas

Flavor Profile: Fruity with a deeper, richer body and flavor

Caffeine: Not indicated but black teas are known to have a high caffeine content compared with other tea varieties

Price: $6 (1 oz) $12 (2 oz) $24 (4 oz)

A quick note on the packaging. You'd want to make sure that you'll have proper storage for the tea. It doesn't come in a resealable pouch. You may have to put the leaves in a tin or use one of those bag sealers to prevent air and moisture from getting in the bag.

Look

The dark brown and black leaves are long and wiry. I love how the tea leaves are not broken into smaller bits. I've finished the entire pack and I've only gotten well-made beautiful tea leaves up to the last tea spoon. It only goes to show you're getting quality tea leaves with your money.

Aroma

It's usually the aroma that I try to notice first in every pack that we open and this tea didn't disappoint. The very second that I opened the pack, I was greeted with a sweet, woody, comforting aroma. The aroma is akin to brown sugar and vanilla. The scent lingers from preparation to steeping. You still get a faint sweet aroma with the liquor but aroma of the brew is more woody -like oak- than sweet.

Taste

The coppery infusion has a sweet and earthy taste. The sweet notes that stood out for me were malt and maple syrup. The liquor also has a smooth feel. You'll get a slightly sweet, maple syrup aftertaste that will linger for a while at the back of your mouth. I prefer drinking it while hot as you'll get some bitterness in the tea when it starts to cool.

Experience

Next to Shine Wing Tea's Golden Needle Tea, I love this Taiwan Black Tea from Kuan Yin Teas. I was able to do about three to four decent infusions from a single teaspoon. I like drinking black tea in the morning and this one has easily become a favorite.

To learn more about Kuan Yin Teas and their products, you can visit their shop or check them out on Instagram.

If you like Taiwan Black Tea, you might like Taiwan Sun Moon Lake Red Jade Black Tea from Taiwan Tea & Co. This tea is naturally farmed with no pesticides, no preservatives, and no added chemicals. Red Jade black tea is one of the most unique and sought after tea varieties in Asia. This black tea is popular for its floral aroma, sweet honey flavor, and smooth palate.

*CompareTea received a sample to review. We made sure to keep our review as honest and unbiased as possible for the benefit of our readers.

]]>Aileen2017-12-04T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/shine-wing-tea-tie-guan-yin-tea-review
http://comparetea.com/shine-wing-tea-tie-guan-yin-tea-reviewIn this week’s tea review, we’ll take a closer look and perform a taste test on Shine Wing’s Tie Guan Yin option. Tie guan yin is a type of oolong tea that originated in Anxi, in China’s Fujian province. A premium option (and the go-to choice for oolong tea among the Chinese), tie guan yin sets itself apart with its flowery fragrance, which is said to remind one of orchids.

Now I’ve never tried oolong tea, so I think this will be a treat. Read on to see if Shine Wing’s Tie Guan Yin makes me ooooh-long or soooo-long.

Umm, that’s a really lame joke, forget I said it.

Tea Basics

Photo by Rob Estonactoc

Name: Tie Guan Yin Green Tea

Brand: Hunan Shine Wing

Flavor Profile: A delicate flavor with slight, but delicious sweetness

Steeping Instructions: 1 tsp for every 6oz of water.

Look

Shine Wing’s Tie Guan Yin tea is recognizable by its small, curled, almost ball-like leaves. As with most green teas, it has a lush, dark-green color. They spread out considerably, allowing for leaves of a lighter jade color, with serrated edges. The tea itself produces a delightful mix of green and pale gold, like liquid peridot.

Aroma

Photo by Rob Estonactoc

I was actually surprised at its aroma--a lovely floral fragrance wafts up from its small, curled-up leaves. They weren’t kidding, this tea does smell like orchids. (My Ma raises orchids back home so I would know). And the best thing about it? The tea retains its aroma so you get a whiff of its pleasant blossomy scent every time you take a sip. I’ve already tried two of Shine Wing’s tea options (both have a salty, milky aroma), and I have to say Tie Guan Yin gives the best olfactory experience.

Taste

Photo by Rob Estonactoc

Tie Guan Yin tea from Shine Wing offers a delicate flavor, with just a hint of sweetness. For those of you who don’t enjoy teas with a bitter aftertaste (like me), then you’ll probably love this option. Tie Guan Yin is mild and refreshing, a perfect companion to a light snack. Good news--the tea doesn’t lose much of its flavor upon re-steeping, letting you enjoy its light, relaxing flavor for longer.

Overall Experience

Photo by Rob Estonactoc

I don’t know about you, but this is my favorite loose leaf tea so far. I’ve never tried oolong tea before, and I’m glad my introduction to it has been enjoyable. In Shine Wing’s Tie Guan Yin option, the combination of floral aroma and delicate flavor allows for a most satisfying tea experience.

If you’re interested in Shine Wing’s Tie Guan Yin Green Tea or want to try the brand’s other options, check out their Instagram (@shinewingtea) or visit their website.

*CompareTea received a sample to review. We made sure to keep our review as honest and unbiased as possible for the benefit of our readers.

]]>Jay Edma2017-11-28T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/cup-day-shine-wing-daily-life-green-tea-review
http://comparetea.com/cup-day-shine-wing-daily-life-green-tea-reviewHave you ever had that day? You know, THAT day, when every little inconvenience piles up every hour. It’s like looking both ways before crossing the street, then BOOM, an airplane lands on top of you. Fortunately, there are also plenty of little ways to ensure you survive the day happy and intact. These include (you guessed it) a cup of steaming green tea, which will almost always raise the spirits (especially when paired with a large oatmeal cookie or two).

Shine Wing Tea even has an excellent option that’s aptly named Daily Life Tea. Does it guarantee a quick cheer-me-up from the day’s small difficulties? Let’s see if it lives up to its name in this week’s review.

Tea Basics

Name: Daily Life Green Tea

Brand: Hunan Shine Wing

Flavor Profile: A light pleasant flavor with a tart aftertaste.

Steeping Instructions: A teaspoon for every 80z water. Steeped for four minutes.

Look

Photo by Rob Estonactoc

Shine Wing’s Daily Life Green Tea has small and twisting leaves, with a lovely green color so dark it’s almost black. Once you’ve steeped them, the leaves open up, becoming longer and lighter--a pleasant green in different shades. The tea itself offers a cheerful golden hue, like a midday sun trapped in a cup.

Aroma

The dry leaves of Shine Wing’s Daily Life Green Tea are sweet and fragrant, almost redolent of fruit. At the same time, the scent has a hint of salt in it--a good mix that allows for a relaxing feel. It loses some of its tang once you’ve added water. As with most green teas, the salt-leaf aroma is now more prominent. It retains its warm, calming effect, however.

Taste

Photo by Rob Estonactoc

A mild, smooth flavor greets the taste buds when you take a sip of Shine Wing’s Daily Life Green Tea. The slightly bitter aftertaste only adds fullness, preventing the tea from being too light. If you prefer, you can put a spoonful of honey on it (as I did) for a richer flavor.

Overall Experience

Photo by Rob Estonactoc

Shine Wing’s Daily Life Green Tea offers a light yet fresh experience with every mouthful. Whether you’re having a rotten day or not, you're sure to perk up once you take that first, long sip. Have a cup every day, see, its name says so.

If you’re interested in Shine Wing’s Daily Life Green Tea or want to try the brand’s other options, check out their Instagram (@shinewingtea) or visit their website.

*CompareTea received a sample to review. We made sure to keep our review as honest and unbiased as possible for the benefit of our readers.

]]>Jay Edma2017-11-16T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/shine-wing-tea-lotus-leaf-tea-review
http://comparetea.com/shine-wing-tea-lotus-leaf-tea-reviewIf someone had asked me a year ago if I were interested in tea, I would’ve said, “Hmm?” as I sip my second cup of coffee. I’ve always associated tea-drinking with the elderly (sorry!) or the more refined sort of people...or even old and refined people. This was after sampling a popular tea brand and almost gagging from the leafy, watery taste. For a while, I was content with the thick, bitter taste of caffeine and the palpitations that come with it. But then I met a now-close friend who’s got me into tea. I started with teabags (scandalous, I know) and I enjoyed them enough to drink at least two cups every day. The thing about starting with standard tea bags, however, is you can always upgrade to something better--loose leaf.

It’s a whole new ballpark. Loose leaf tea smells better, has a richer flavor, and damned if I don’t enjoy preparing it. I like the fact that you don’t just dunk the leaves on a cup, pour hot water over it, and call it a day. The need to measure, filter, and wait at the right moment makes drinking loose leaf a more enjoyable experience. Teas that come in a bag may be convenient, but you’ll find loose leaf has already spoiled you. But enough about me rambling.

Tea Basics

Steeping Instructions: A teaspoon for every 16oz water. Steeped two to three minutes.

Look

Lotus leaf tea has a dark-green, almost seaweed-like color when dry. The leaves lighten considerably into olive once you’ve steeped them. The previously tight bits open up into long, almost-curling leaves. When it’s ready, lotus leaf tea produces a lovely, pale golden color —like the first sprigs of a summer perennial.

Aroma

Photo by Rob Estonactoc

Shine Wing’s Lotus Leaf Tea has a pungent, milky aroma. Its pleasant, almost-sweet scent relaxes you when dry. The aroma is just as strong once you’ve added water. In fact, I think it’s become even more pungent. It has lost some of its milky aroma, replaced by a leafier, saltier scent. It’s not unpleasant--the intense aroma is now bound to wake you up than relax you, however.

Taste

Photo by Rob Estonactoc

Taking a sip of Shine Wing’s Lotus Leaf Tea will give you a clean, light taste. It’s almost a contrast to its thicker aroma. The aftertaste has a hint of bitterness in it, which for me is a bit refreshing. If you want your tea a bit stronger, however, you might want to find another variant. My friend has tried this option and found its lightness not to his taste. On the other hand, those who love their tea both mild and refreshing, then lotus leaf tea from Shine Wing is a perfect companion on gray, lazy afternoons.

Overall Experience

Photo by Rob Estonactoc

Shine Wing’s Lotus Leaf Tea offers a lovely experience with its golden-green color and mild, relaxing taste. It may not overwhelm the taste buds with a stronger flavor, but those who prefer their tea light won’t have any problem enjoying a sip (preferably with biscuits) any day of the week.

*CompareTea received a sample to review. We made sure to keep our review as honest and unbiased as possible for the benefit of our readers.

]]>Jay Edma2017-11-06T00:00:00+00:00Tea Comparisonshttp://comparetea.com/gunpowder-tea-comparison-kuan-yin-teas-versus-shine-wing-tea
http://comparetea.com/gunpowder-tea-comparison-kuan-yin-teas-versus-shine-wing-teaOver the past weeks, we reviewed gunpowder tea from two brands, namely Shine Wing Tea and Kuan Yin Teas. And what better way to cap off our gunpowder tea series than with a tea comparison?!

Look

Gunpowder tea is a green tea variant with tightly rolled leaves. To make them, the leaves are left to wither and then steamed.

Pellets

The most notable characteristics of gunpowder tea is its leaves. Unlike regular tea leaves, these leaves are rolled into small pellets. One way to tell the quality of a gunpowder tea is by looking at its pellets. They should be small, tightly rolled, have some shine, and uniform in color and size.

The pellets from Kuan Yin Teas (KYT) seemed to be just twisted while Shine Wing Tea's (SWT) pellets were tightly rolled. Between the two, its SWT's pellets that have a bit of shine. The pellets from both brands are uniform in size and color. Pellets from SWT have a darker color than KYT.

Once steeped, the pellets of SWT unfurled into bigger and longer dark green leaves. KYT's pellets unfurled into medium-sized leaves.

Brew

(L) Kuan Yin Teas (R) Shine Wing Tea

SWT's pellets produced a goldenrod yellow color brew while KYT's brew has a light copper color.

Aroma

Leaves

The pellets of both KYT and SWT have a sweet, smoky aroma. The aroma of SWT, however, is subtler - as in barely there- than KYT. The steeped leaves of KYT has a vegetal scent, like grass stems while SWT is smoky.

Brew

KYT's gunpowder has a sweet, roasty aroma while SWT has an earthy, somewhat smoky aroma. Both reminded me of autumn.

Taste

Brewing time! (L) Kuan Yin Teas (R) Shine Wing Tea

Both Kuan Yin Teas and Shine Wing Tea offer full-bodied gunpowder tea with little to no astringency. The brew from Kuan Yin Teas has a velvety feel while the brew from Shine Wing Tea has a smooth feel. Both have a nice smoky flavor. Shine Wing Tea, however, gives a bit of bitterness at the back of your mouth while Kuan Yin Teas has a subtle sweet aftertaste.

Experience

I'm not very fond of green tea because I don't like the vegetal taste (often grassy) I usually get from it. Surprisingly, gunpowder tea doesn't taste like that. And so, I enjoyed tasting tea from Shine Wing Tea and Kuan Yin Teas.

The gunpowder tea pellets from Shine Wing Tea definitely look better than Kuan Yin Teas. However, between the two, I found myself leaning towards Kuan Yin Tea more than Shine Wing Tea. There were too much sediments at the bottom of my SWT cup. While KYT has very little sediments. I prefer drinking gunpowder tea from Kuan Yin Tea while it's very hot as it could be a bit bitter once it has cooled a little.

Try not to overbrew the pellets. While you may get away with overbrewing other types of tea leaves, the gunpowder tea leaves are a bit sensitive to overbrewing.

Would you like to try gunpowder tea? You can buy a pack from Kuan Yin Tea here. You may reach out to Shine Wing Tea for their gunpowder tea through their Instagram.

*CompareTea received a sample to review. We made sure to keep our review as honest and unbiased as possible for the benefit of our readers.

]]>Aileen2017-09-02T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/tea-tasting-lavender-chamomile-kick-herbal-tea
http://comparetea.com/tea-tasting-lavender-chamomile-kick-herbal-teaIf you're looking for tea that's spicy and sweet, Embrew got you covered. This Lavender Chamomile Kick Herbal Tea would surprise you in more ways than one.

Tea Basics:

Name: lavender Chamomile Kick Herbal Tea Brand: EmbrewOrigin: Various regions of the United States Flavor Profile: Sweet with a touch of spiceSteeping Instructions: Steep a tea bag for six to eight minutes in 10-12 oz. of water at 212-degree Fahrenheit (100-degree Celsius) Price: $15.95

Aroma

Photo credit: Embrew.com

I expected the tea bag to have a strong floral scent given its flavor. To my surprise, the floral scent was subtle and I love it. The aroma is mostly sweet.

The brew also has a subtle Lavender aroma. Just by smelling the tea alone, you wouldn't have a clue of what's in store for you when you taste it.

Taste

I expected the Lavender flavor to stand out but in my opinion, it simply played a secondary role. The spice took the spotlight. Spicy and sweet, the brew is comparable with chai tea but with a milder flavor.

Experience

I steeped the bag for eight minutes because I want to taste how strong the flavor could be. Aaaand oh, boy!

Before tasting this tea, my biggest concern was that it's lavender. I've had lavender tea in the past and it was too "perfumey" for my liking. I have to confess, I put off reviewing this tea until there's nothing left in the sampler set but this.

The notes on Embrew's website about this tea were spot on. It does have a bite! And I think brewing it for a full eight minutes gave me the maximum kick I could get out of it.

I always thought of Lavender tea as one I'd drink to wind down after a busy day — but not this one! Lavender Chamomile Kick from Embrew gives you that push you need to power through your day. If I may say, it gives you a good kick in the butt to finish the day strong.

A friendly reminder: If you haven't tried spicy tea, try brewing this at the minimum required time t osee how you like it before deciding to steep it longer. As with anything spicy, it might be best not to take it on an empty stomach.

For more on Embrew and their products, check out Embrew.com. You can buy Lavender Chamomile Kick Herbal Tea here.

*CompareTea received a sample to review. We made sure to keep our review as honest and unbiased as possible for the benefit of our readers.

]]>Aileen2017-08-29T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/tea-tasting-organic-gunpowder-tea-kuan-yin-teas
http://comparetea.com/tea-tasting-organic-gunpowder-tea-kuan-yin-teasGunpowder tea is known for its smoky and flavorful characteristics. The leaves are tightly rolled into small pellets, making them retain more aroma and flavor than other types of tea.

If you're buying gunpowder tea, check for the pellets' color, size, and shine. These will would help you find high-quality products on the market. Look into tea reviews and comparisons to learn the experience of others who have bought the tea.

Tea Basics

Steeping Instructions: Pour in 2-oz cold water and 10-oz boiling water in a warm cup. Use one tablespoon of gunpowder pellets and steep for two to three minutes.

Price: $5-$30 depending on weight

Kuan Yin Teas has been in business of providing high-quality loose leaf teas since 1990. Before the recent owners Marcus and Denise turned it into an online-only tea experience in 2006, it was a teahouse called Teahouse Kuan Yin.

Look

The small moss green pellets looked more twisted than rolled. They are uniform in color and size. Once they've unfurled, they opened into small, bright, broken leaves.

Aroma

The dry pellets are smoky and sweet while the steeped leaves smell sweet and vegetal like grass stems. The brew also has a hint of sweetness but is mostly smoky.

Taste

The full-bodied, coppery liquor has a velvety mouthfeel and no astringency. It also has a nice roasty flavor.

Experience

I love the aroma and the full flavor of Kuan Yin Teas's Gunpowder tea. I enjoyed drinking it hot (be careful though if you'll do the same) as it could be a bit bitter once it has cooled. I find it very comforting and would drink this after a heavy meal.

After the first steep, I find the leaves could do another steeping and so I gave it a go. The second steeping for me was even better than the first.

For its price, this gunpowder tea is definitely a good deal. If you're interested to try it, you can check it out here.

*CompareTea received a sample to review. We made sure to keep our review as honest and unbiased as possible for your benefit.

]]>Aileen2017-08-08T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/jin-zhan-yin-tai-shine-wing-tea-blooming-tea-review
http://comparetea.com/jin-zhan-yin-tai-shine-wing-tea-blooming-tea-reviewWhen I hear "blooming tea", I'm like a kid at Christmas excited to open her gifts. And Jin Zhan Yin Tai from Shine Wing Tea had me so giddy this morning to start a tea session.

We failed on the few times we've tried blooming teas because we didn't have the right cup size. Some of the blossoms we got also didn't sink to the bottom of the cup. Others bloomed sideways. While I was excited for today's tea time, I also couldn't get our past experiences out of my mind.

Brew

This Jin Zhan Yin Tai by Shine Wing Tea isn't as sweet as I thought it would be and that worked great for me. You could definitely taste the peach in it. It has a bit of an astringency though, which I think complemented its fruity flavor. Once it has cooled down, the bitterness becomes stronger.

Experience

My blooming tea experience with Shine Wing Tea is definitely better than the once I've had in the past. I would love to try other available blooming tea variants to know if the quality and experience will be consistent throughout.

Overall, I like this tea for its refreshing flavor. It's perfect served hot but with its flavor, I think this would also be great served cold.

Would I buy one? Most definitely!

If you're interested to learn more about Shine Wing Tea and their products, you may check them out on Instagram (@shinewingtea) or visit their website (http://www.shinewingtea.com/)

*CompareTea received a sample to review. We made sure to keep our review as honest and unbiased as possible for the benefit of our readers.

]]>Aileen2017-08-06T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/tea-tasting-bourbon-smoked-white-tea-embrew
http://comparetea.com/tea-tasting-bourbon-smoked-white-tea-embrewWhen we think of white tea, we imagine light-colored tea with mild floral or fruity flavor, and fragrant aroma. Embrew changed all that with their Bourbon Smoked White tea.

Tea Basics

Name: Bourbon Smoked White

Brand: Embrew

Origin: Thyolo District, Malawi

Flavor Profile: Full-bodied white tea with subtle sweetness

Steeping Instructions: Steep a tea bag for two minutes in 10-12 oz. of water at 185-degree Fahrenheit (85-degree Celsius)

Price: $15.95 for a pack with 10 tea bags

This tea comes with granulated sweeteners in the bag, specifically smoked demerara sugar.

Aroma

Embrew's white tea has a smoky aroma with a hint of sweetness that wakes you up and relaxes you at the same time. Once you dunk the bag into your cup, the smoky aroma intensifies as if teasing you in anticipation of the brew.

Taste

This Bourbon Smoked White tea has a full-bodied flavor and clean mouthfeel. Embrew was right when they said the real hero of this tea is the Bourbon smoked sugar. We tasted and smelled it the entire tea session. As you drink the tea, you'll get that hint of peach and baked bread and then it will be replaced with notes of sweet Bourbon as an aftertaste.

Overall Experience

This tea has a lot of character in it that it's quite interesting and amazing how Embrew successfully created this blend. We enjoyed drinking it. If we ever have to pick a favorite blend from Embrew, it will be their Bourbon Smoked White tea.

*CompareTea received a sample to review. We made sure to keep our review as honest and unbiased as possible for the benefit of our readers.

]]>Aileen2017-08-04T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/tea-tasting-gunpowder-tea-shine-wing-tea
http://comparetea.com/tea-tasting-gunpowder-tea-shine-wing-teaGunpowder tea is a type of Chinese green tea with the leaves withered, steamed, rolled into small pellets, and then dried. Like all green teas, Gunpowder tea is popular for its health benefits.

There are three varieties of gunpowder tea, namely, Pingshui, Formosa, and Ceylon. Formosa gunpowder is a variety originating from Taiwan that is usually steamed or fresh oolongs. Compared with gunpowder tea produced in China, Formosa gunpowder is said to have its own unique characteristics and aroma. Pingshui gunpowder tea is the most common type of gunpowder on the market and is also known as Pinhead Gunpowder tea. Ceylon Gunpowder tea is a variant from Sri Lanka.

Tea Basics

Name: Gunpowder

Brand: Shine Wing Tea

Flavor Profile: Smoky, earthy flavor

Steeping Instructions: Use 1 teaspoon for a 6-8 oz cup of water and steep at 175-185 degrees for two minutes

Shine Wing Tea is a Chinese tea exporter of specialty teas, chun mee, gun powder, and other tea varieties. They are exporting tea in Africa, North America, Europe, Southern Asia, and Eastern Asia. The company is known for their good reputation, innovation, exploration, loyalty and honesty.

Gunpowder Leaves

When it comes to gunpowder tea, remember that the color, size, and shine of the pellets indicate whether the gunpowder tea you bought is top-quality. High-quality gunpowder tea has small, shiny, and tightly rolled pellets.

Shine Wing Tea's gunpowder tea has small, tightly rolled dark green pellets that are uniform in size. It has a subtle sweet and smoky aroma.

Gunpowder Tea

Shine Wing Tea's gunpowder tea has a goldenrod yellow color. It's a full-bodied tea with smoky and earthy flavor. The aftertaste is sweet but subtle. This gunpowder tea also has a smooth mouthfeel.

Overall Experience

We loved Shine Wing Tea's gunpowder tea because the flavor is not overwhelming. Unlike other green tea variants that could have an intense vegetal flavor, this gunpowder tea's most remarkable characteristic is its rich, smoky taste. What we didn't like with this tea, however, is the amount of "dusts" or sediments that settled at the bottoom of our cup. It affected our whole experience with this tea a bit.

Would we restock on gunpowder tea? Yes, we will. The flavor is great so we'll just have to deal with the sediments.

If you're interested to try gunpowder tea by Shine Wing Tea, you may reach out to them on Instagram or visit shinewingtea.com.

Have you tried gunpowder tea? Share with us your experience! We're always on the look out for other brands offering similar types of tea to compare with the ones we've tried. Send us your recommendations and we'll see what we can do.

*CompareTea received a sample to review. We made sure to keep our review as honest and unbiased as possible for the benefit of our readers.

]]>Aileen2017-08-02T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/tea-tasting-guayusa-lemongrass
http://comparetea.com/tea-tasting-guayusa-lemongrassNative to the Amazon Forest of Ecuador, Guayusa is famous for its health benefits. It contains glutamic acid (also present in green tea), caffeine, theobromine (a stimulant that's also found in chocolates), antioxidants, and more. Guayusa tea is said to be effective in managing stress and fatigue.

Although it is technically not tea, Guayusa is popular among tea lovers for its energizing properties, which is said to be comparable with yerba mate and coffee. Unlike other caffeinated drinks, however, it is said that Guayusa tea doesn't give you the jitters or that sudden crash a few hours after drinking it.

Tea Basics

Name: Guayusa + Hierba Luisa Infusion

Brand: Micha Guayusa TEA

Flavor Profile: Strong lemon citrus with subtle tannic linger

Caffeine Content: Yes

Steeping Instructions: Use one teaspoon for a cup of freshly boiled water and steep for three to seven minutes, depending on how strong you want the brew to be.

Leaves

The leaves are broken into small pieces and are very powdery/dusty. It has a fresh green aroma with subtle sweetness.

Brew

We brewed a teaspoon of Guayusa leaves for seven minutes. The light brown brew has a very subtle aroma of lemongrass. It tastes bitter and vegetal, like drinking green tea but with a more pronounced flavor.

Experience

Guayusa tea has a very unique taste. If you haven't tried herbal tea or infusion, it takes a while to get used to.

One very important thing you have to consider when brewing Guayusa tea is the infuser. The holes of our infuser basket were quite big to filter the powder so we ended up with a brew that has a lot of small floating particles in it the first time. On our second try, we switched to one with smaller holes and that helped a bit, although we still got some of the dusts in our tea (as you can see in the photo).

It's also worth experimenting on the amount of leaves you're going to use. For a teaspoon, our brew was really strong and bitter. You could also try to add a small amount of sweetener to work around the bitterness.

If you like herbal infusions and are up for something new, consider adding this tea from Micha Guayusa TEA to your shopping list.

For more information on Micha Guayusa and their products, you may visit there website or check them out on Instagram.

*CompareTea received a sample to review. We made sure to keep our review as honest and unbiased as possible for the benefit of our readers.

]]>Aileen2017-07-30T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/tea-tasting-creamy-honey-oolong-tea-embrew
http://comparetea.com/tea-tasting-creamy-honey-oolong-tea-embrewNeither green nor black, oolong tea sits between these two popular types of tea in terms of oxidation and flavor. Depending on the process it underwent, an oolong tea may have more green tea characteristics or black tea characteristics.

For today's review, we are going to taste a green oolong.

Tea Basics

Name: Creamy Honey Oolong

Brand: Embrew

Origin: Pear Mountain, Nantou, Taiwan

Flavor Profile: Subtle creaminess and rich sweetness

Steeping Instructions: Steep a tea bag for two minutes in 10-12 oz. of water at 205-degree Fahrenheit (96-degree Celsius)

Price: $15.95 for a pack with 10 tea bags

Embrew offers artisan tea blended with craft sweeteners. As of this writing, they offer five blends:

Amber Black Maple

Bourbon Smoked White

Creamy Honey Oolong

Lavender Chamomile Kick

Steamed Honey Green

If you want to save yourself a step in your tea making process, Embrew is your kind of tea. Their tea bags contain granulated sweeteners like maple, honey, and sugar.

Aroma

Embrew's Creamy Honey Oolong tea bag has a delightful smoky sweet aroma. It contains bright green leaves that are uniform in size and color. The bag also has a few stalks.

Creamy Honey Oolong Brew

The tea has a subtle creamy aroma and the flavor is milky with a hint of sweetness. It has a smooth, silky feel in the mouth and a creamy aftertaste.

When steeping, don't forget to dunk the tea bag a few times to make sure all the granules are dissolved. And don't oversteep!

Overall Experience

Three things we loved about Embrew's Creamy Honey Oolong:

Its mellow flavor

The quality of leaves used

Its subtle sweetness

We appreciated that Embrew didn't use fannings for their tea, as what's typically used in tea bags. If you're worried about the sweetness, you'll be glad to know that this tea isn't very sweet. Yes, you would taste the honey but it's the creaminess of the tea that you'd mostly notice.

Creamy Honey Oolong of Embrew is mellow and relaxing. It's convenient to have especially when you're on the go or you need your daily dose of tea and a dash of sweetness in your day.

*CompareTea received a sample to review. We made sure to keep our review as honest and unbiased as possible for the benefit of our readers.

]]>Aileen2017-07-27T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/stop-looking-golden-needle-tea-best-one-yet
http://comparetea.com/stop-looking-golden-needle-tea-best-one-yetGolden Needle tea is a variety of Dianhong tea, a type of gourmet Chinese black tea grown in Yunnan, China. It is made of high-quality tips that are often harvested during summer, between May and June.

Other varieties of Dianhong tea includes Yunnan Pure Gold, Yunnan Gold, and Broken Yunnan. This gourmet Chinese black tea is also simply called as Yunnan black or Yunnan red. However, it often creates confusion as there are numerous types of teas produced in Yunnan.

Tea Basics

Name: Golden Needles

Brand: Shine Wing Tea

Flavor Profile: Woody with dark chocolate notes

Caffeine Content: In general, black tea has high caffeine content

Steeping Instructions: Use a teaspoon of golden needle tea for an 8-oz cup and steep at boiling temperature for three to five minutes

Golden Needle Tea Leaves

The long, twisted caramel-colored dry leaves have a sweet, slightly chocolatey aroma. Steeping the leaves really brought out their chocolatey aroma, which was delightful.

Golden Needle Brew

For this review, we used a teaspoon of golden tea leaves and steeped for five minutes. We used the leaves two more times after the first steeping.

A teaspoon of golden tea leaves gave us a beautiful Bourbon-brown brew with woody aroma. The flavor of this tea is exactly how we want our black tea to taste like — full-bodied with a slightly roasted flavor and a hint of sweetness.

On the third steeping, the flavor has become weak but we wouldn't call it bland. We think you'd only get as much as three steepings for a teaspoon of golden needle tea leaves — which isn't bad at all.

Overall Experience

Off all the varieties of black tea we've tried, this one takes the top spot. If we need a waker-upper, we'd choose golden needle tea from Shine Wing Tea. It could be a good alternative to coffee for those who are trying to quit or limit their caffeine intake. As with any caffeinated drink, however, make sure to drink enough water, especially if you'll be drinking this throughout the day.

For more information on Shine Wing Tea's Golden Needle Tea, you may visit their website, reach out to their on Instagram, or email them at shinewingtea@gmail.com

*CompareTea received a sample to review. We made sure to keep our review as honest and unbiased as possible for the benefit of our readers.

]]>Aileen2017-07-25T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/tea-tasting-premium-dragon-well-long-jing-green-tea-teavivre
http://comparetea.com/tea-tasting-premium-dragon-well-long-jing-green-tea-teavivreWe hope you like our reviews and the products we feature. Just FYI, Comparetea collects a share of sales from the links on this post, which supports our work.

Longjing tea is a popular variation of pan-roasted green tea from Longjing Village, Zhejiang, China. Unlike other tea leaves that are rolled, longjing tea leaves are flattened. This type of tea is also one of the top 10 teas in China and is often served to heads of states visiting the country.

Western Brew: Use two grams of Premium Dragon Well Long Jing Green Tea leaves (about two to three teaspoons) and steep for three to five minutes at 185-degree Fahrenheit (85-degree Celsius) to make 8 ounces (250 ml) of tea.

Gongfu Way: Use four grams ofPremium Dragon Well Long Jing Green Tea leaves and steep for 20s,30s,40s,60s at 185-degree Fahrenheit (85-degree Celsius) to make 3.8 ounces (110 ml) of tea. Don't forget to rinse for about five seconds before the first steep.

Price: Between $3 and $104.90 depending on package size and type (you can get it in a zip bag or tin)

Premium Dragon Well Long Jing Green Tea Leaves

The dry leaves have a sweet, nutty aroma. The long bright green flat tea leaves are uniform in size and color. They are really beautiful to look at. The steeped leaves, on the other hand, have a very subtle sweet, vegetal aroma — kind of like grass.

Liquor

We steeped the leaves for five minutes and got a pale yellow liquor with flavor that's sweet and mellow. It also has a clean mouth feel with a hint of milk.

What we find interesting with the liquor is that the aroma of the first steeping reminded us of Teavana's Jeju Island Green Tea. There was a subtle aroma of the sea in it. However, that aroma was barely noticeable on the succeeding steeping. The second and third steeping has a subtle vegetal aroma, which is common in green tea.

Final Thoughts

It was our first time to try longjing tea so there was nothing we could compare it with. What we loved about Teavivre's Premium Dragon Well Long Jing Green Tea is its refreshing and mellow flavor. We liked the hint of sweetness and the nutty notes.

We also liked that the aroma isn't overpowering. We were initially concerned about the subtle aroma of the sea that we got on the first steeping but our worries were laid to rest when we tasted the tea and the flavor was nothing like the aroma.

Overall, we had a great experience with Teavivre's Premium Dragon Well Long Jing Green Tea. We will be adding this to our shopping list when it's time to stock up on Teavivre teas.

]]>Aileen2017-07-23T00:00:00+00:00Tea Comparisonshttp://comparetea.com/leaf-leaf-tie-guan-yin-oolong-tea-will-reign-supreme
http://comparetea.com/leaf-leaf-tie-guan-yin-oolong-tea-will-reign-supremeWe hope you like our reviews and the products we feature. Just FYI, Comparetea collects a share of sales from the links on this post, which supports our work.

Known as the high-end form of Chinese oolong teas, tie guan yin tea's flavor and aroma can be compared with black tea. The best part? It has high levels of antioxidants, amino acids, and vitamins.

Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea

Teavivre's Tie Guan Yin "Iron Goddess" Oolong Tea has a light yellow color with strong floral aroma while Summit Tea Co.'s TGY Premium Oolong tea is a shade or two darker than Teavivre's. It has an earthy aroma with a hint of sweetness and fruity notes.

Overall Experience

Teavivre's flavor and aroma are very soothing. It put us in a very relaxed mood. Summit Tea Co's Tie Guan Yin tea has a different effect on us, probably because it has a stronger flavor than Teavivre.

As a tie guan yin tea lies between black tea and green tea, it's quite interesting to note that these two varieties are very different from each other. One exhibited characteristics that are often associated with black tea while the other has characteristics that are often associated with green tea. We feel that Teavivre leans more toward the green tea side of TGYs while Summit Tea Co leans more toward the black tea side.

]]>Aileen2017-07-20T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/amber-black-maple-black-tea-embrew
http://comparetea.com/amber-black-maple-black-tea-embrewThere are days when we just want our tea strong. Today is one of those days and we're lucky to have Amber Black Maple tea from Embrew in our tea stash. We even got an extra treat. It comes with sweetener in the bag.

"Sugar in our tea?! No way!"

A bit of side note

In our last review, which we shared on Reddit, many people reacted negatively about putting sugar in their tea. While we rarely add sugar to our tea too, we don't mind exploring the idea and trying it out. We couldn't understand why many have such strong emotions about it.

Any thoughts on this?

Okay, on to our tea review!

Tea Basics

Name: Amber Black Maple

Brand: Embrew

Origin: Ilam, Nepal

Flavor Profile: Whole leaf black tea with caramel notes

Steeping Instructions: Steep a tea bag for two to three minutes in 10-12 oz. of water at 195-degree Fahrenheit (91-degree Celsius)

Price: $15.95 for a pack with 10 tea bags

Em-who?

You may have just heard about them today, but Embrew isn't a newbie when it comes to tea. Their founder has waited about a decade for the tea industry to come up with a product that combines tea and sweeteners. After years of waiting, they've finally decided to do it themselves.

Aroma

The tea bag's aroma reminds us of fall in this Texas summer heat. It has a sweet, light roast aroma — like log burning in the fireplace. The steeped leaves, on the other hand, smelled like raisins.

After the first steeping, we find that the leaves haven't completely unfurled. You can probably use them to re-steep once or twice.

Flavor

The copper-colored liquor looks like whisky. It's aroma has a hint of smoked logs, which is not surprising as this black tea from Nepal is double-roasted. However, it's not as strong as we want our black tea but its flavor won't disappoint. Despite the granulated maple syrup, the tea is only mildly sweet. It also doesn't have any astringency or bitter aftertaste. The sweetness lingers in your mouth.

Overall Experience

The color is great and the flavor is okay. We won't have second thoughts trying Amber Black Maple tea again. While it may not be our morning tea, we'd drink this anytime within the day to help us power through our work hours.

Would you like to add this to your tea stash? You can buy it from here or check out Embrew.com for other tea varieties blended with craft sweeteners.

Have you tried it? Share your experience with us!

*CompareTea received a sample to review. We made sure to keep our review as honest and unbiased as possible for the benefit of our readers.

]]>Aileen2017-07-18T00:00:00+00:00Tea Comparisonshttp://comparetea.com/white-peony-tea-teavivre-versus-shine-wing-tea
http://comparetea.com/white-peony-tea-teavivre-versus-shine-wing-teaWe hope you like our tea comparisons and the products we feature. Just FYI, Comparetea collects a share of sales from the links on this post.

White Peony (Bai Mudan) is a type of white tea known for its fuller flavor and greater potency compared with Bai Hao Yinzhen, another type of white tea. In general, white peony has a mild floral aroma and fruity flavor. It is also often low on caffeine, making it the perfect choice for an evening tea.

(L) Shine Wing Tea (R) Teavivre

In this post, we will be comparing white peony from Teavivre and Shine Wing Tea. As always, we will take notes of their aroma, flavor, and characteristics of their leaves and liquor.

White Peony (Bai MuDan) Leaves

Characteristics

(L) Teavivre (R) Shine Wing Tea

One of the most distinguishing characteristics of white peony tea leaves is that they're covered in white hairs. With Teavivre, you can easily see that the leaves have that distinguishing factor while leaves from Shine Wing Tea have minimal visible white hairs.

Teavivre's leaves are smaller than Shine Wing Tea's and their colors are mostly dark/moss green and grey green. Shine Wing Tea's on the other hand, have bigger leaves with shades ranging from light to dark green.

Aroma

Both sets of leaves give off a delicate floral aroma with Teavivre having a hint of sweetness in it. White Peony (Bai MuDan) from Teavivre has a stronger aroma than Shine Wing Tea. Teavivre's also has a bit of grassy (like fresh leaves) scent that we didn't initially noticed with Shine Wing Tea's leaves.

After brewing, however, we noticed that both leaves already have the "fresh leaves scent" in them. In addition, the mild floral aroma on Shine Wing Tea's steeped leaves was faintly there.

Liquor

For this post, we used three teaspoons of white peony tea leaves from Teavivre and Shine Wing Tea. We steeped the leaves for five minutes at 185-degree Fahrenheit (85-degree Celsius).

(L) Shine Wing Tea (R) Teavivre

Characteristics

The liquor from Shine Wing Tea is pale yellow while Teavivre's has a darker shade, similar to golden yellow.

Aroma

Both liquors have a mild floral aroma but Teavivre's has a slight grassy aroma mixed in.

Flavor

Teavivre is more flavorful than Shine Wing Tea, which gives a very light flavor. Thankfully, the grassy aroma of Teavivre's liquor stayed as just an aroma. Teavivre's white peony tea has a mellow flavor and a sweet aftertaste.

In our review, we mentioned that Teavivre's white peony tea is thin in the mouth. Reddit user _Soggy_ suggested to use more leaves (4 grams for 300 ml and steep for three to four minutes) as Bai Mudans could give you a nice thickness. So we're going to try that on our next brewing! ;)

Surprisingly, it was Shine Wing Tea's white peony tea that has the grassy (like fresh leaves) flavor. It also has some floral notes. Additionally, Shine Wing Tea's white peony tea has a hint of bitterness (the good kind), which we didn't mind at all as it gave the tea a bit more characteristic. Similar to Teavivre, Shine Wing tea also has a sweet aftertaste

Overall Experience

Both white peony tea varieties are good but what's a comparison for if we won't tell you which one we liked best, right? Between the two, we preferred Shine Wing Tea's white peony tea. When the tea has cooled a little, Teavivre got a bit bitter while Shine Wing tea actually tasted better. We also loved that we got bigger leaves from Shine Wing Tea. With regards to the flavor, we'll be trying out different amounts of leaves to get the flavor —and texture— we want from both brands.

Want to buy white peony from Teavivre or Shine Wing Tea? Here are the links:

*CompareTea received a sample to review from Shine Wing Tea. We made sure to keep our review as honest and unbiased as possible for the benefit of our readers.

]]>Aileen2017-07-16T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/tea-tasting-organic-white-peony-bai-mudan-teavivre
http://comparetea.com/tea-tasting-organic-white-peony-bai-mudan-teavivreWe hope you like our reviews and the products we feature. Just FYI, Comparetea collects a share of sales from the links on this post, which supports our work.

If you're looking for tea that's mellow and refreshing, white peony (Bai MuDan) is what you need. Popular for its flavor and health benefits, this white tea comes from unopened tea leaves and fresh buds.

Today, we're reviewing Organic White Peony (Bai MuDan) from Teavivre. This is part of the Featured Tea Sampler Gift pack we bought from them.

Western Brew: Use two grams of Organic White Peony tea leaves (about three teaspoons) and steep for five to eight minutes at 185-degree Fahrenheit (85-degree Celsius) to make 12 ounces (355 ml) of tea.

Gongfu Way: Use five grams of Organic White Peony tea leaves and steep for 20s,30s,40s,60s,80s at 85-degree Fahrenheit (85-degree Celsius) to make 3.8 ounces (110 ml) of tea.

Price: Between $2 and $120.90 depending on package size and type

White Peony Tea Leaves

The pack has stalks and leaves in varying shades of green —mostly dark green and grey green. The dry leaves have a delicate, floral aroma with a hint of sweetness. In addition, the aroma has a characteristic of freshness like a very subtle grassy scent.

The steeped leaves, on the other hand, have a more grassy aroma.

Organic White Peony (Bai MuDan) Tea

We brewed two grams of Organic White Peony tea leaves for seven minutes and we got a cup of bright, golden yellow tea. Its aroma is a bit grassy with some floral hints.

We did a second steeping and surprisingly, we liked it better than the first. Although the second steeping gave us a much lighter flavor, there was minimal aftertaste, which we appreciated.

Final Thoughts

The aroma and flavor of Teavivre's Organic White Peony (Bai MuDan) tea are very relaxing. If you're winding down for the day, this tea could really set the mood.

Is this tea for you? Light-flavored tea isn't for everyone. And white tea's most notable characteristic is its mellow flavor. This is a great everyday nighttime tea if you like mellow-flavored teas or if you're looking to add a lighter-flavored tea in your growing tea collection.

]]>Aileen2017-07-14T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/steamed-honey-green-tea-drink-embrew
http://comparetea.com/steamed-honey-green-tea-drink-embrewWhat do you do when you're having a toxic day at work or experiencing writer's block? You take a break and drink a relaxing cup of tea, of course! Today is one of those days when we've got lots of things to do but our mind just couldn't handle the stress. Thankfully, we've got something to calm ourselves down.

Today, we're reviewing what we'd say a novelty kind of tea. When we first heard about it, we instantly got curious and excited about trying it. And we're doing it now! Tadaaaa!

Tea Basics:

Name: Steamed Honey Green Tea Bag

Brand: Embrew

Origin: Thyolo District, Malawi

Flavor Profile: Steamed green tea with soft floral notes

Steeping Instructions: Steep a tea bag for two to three minutes in 10-12 oz. of water at 175-degree Fahrenheit (79-degree Celsius)

Price: $15.95 for a pack with 10 tea bags

What makes this tea special? This green tea drink is an artisan tea blended with craft sweeteners. This one we're trying comes with granulated honey.

There aren't too many brands selling this kind of product. Embrew is the only brand we know that offers tea with sweeteners in the tea bag.

Aroma of Embrew's Steamed Honey Green Tea

The aroma of the bag has a notable sweetness. We couldn't really smell the green tea at first but once we've steeped the bag, the aroma of the green tea became noticeable. It's vegetal and has a bit of a minty scent.

Flavor of the Steamed Honey Green Tea

We steeped the bag for three minutes in a 10-oz cup of water at 175-degree Fahrenheit (79-degree Celsius). What we got was a beautiful cup of golden green tea drink. We dunk the bag a few times to make sure we get as much of the flavor out of the bag.

The initial thought we had when we tasted the Steamed Honey Green tea was that it has a milky or creamy flavor. The liquor also has a subtle aroma of green tea. According to Embrew, there's a little bitterness in the tea but if there was, we didn't' taste it. The aftertaste is sweet and the liquor has no astringent characteristics.

Because of the honey granules, we were expecting a very sweet green tea drink. But what we got from the first steeping was a lightly sweetened cuppa, which is perfect.

You wouldn't have to worry when you're serving this to friends and everyone has their own preference when it comes to how sweet they want their tea to be. Because it's not overwhelmingly sweet, it would be easy to adjust the sweetness of your tea to your liking.

Of course, for the second steeping, all the sweetness was gone. What we had, however, is a soothing cup of green tea drink. The flavor of the green tea stood out more in the second steeping compared with the creamy flavor we got from the first one.

When we checked the leaves after the second round, they still weren't completely unfurled. You could probably use the bag for another steeping and still get decent taste out of it.

Overall Experience

The tea was great — better than we expected, to be honest. You see, we don't like adding anything to our tea (no milk, no sugar). But Embrew's Steamed Honey Green tea worked well for us and we think that's mostly because of the level of sweetness that the tea gave us. If it had been any sweeter, we probably wouldn't have enjoyed this green tea drink.

Would you like to try Embrew's Steamed Honey Green tea? You can order here. They also have other flavors, namely Amber Black Maple, Creamy Honey Oolong, Bourbon Smoked White, and Lavender Chamomile Kick.

We'll be reviewing some more of Embrew's artisan tea blends in the coming days. Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter for review updates!

*CompareTea received a sample of Steam Honey Green tea from Embrew to review. We made sure to keep our review as honest and unbiased as possible for the benefit of our readers.

]]>Aileen2017-07-11T00:00:00+00:00Tea Comparisonshttp://comparetea.com/battle-black-dragon-pearls-finding-best-black-tea
http://comparetea.com/battle-black-dragon-pearls-finding-best-black-teaWe hope you like our tea comparisons and the products we feature. Just FYI, Comparetea collects a share of sales from the links on this post that support our work.

For those who have followed our blog from Day 1, you've probably noticed that we love black tea. The very first review we did was on Tealyra's Black Dragon Pearls. And so it's not surprising that our first comparison post will be on black tea, too.

We're not only comparing two black tea varieties. We're comparing three from the following brands: Shine Wing Tea, Tealyra, and Teavivre.

Hover your mouse or touch the packages to see individual reviews

For comparison, we will be looking into the following factors:

Characteristics of black dragon pearls

Aroma of leaves and liquor

Characteristics of the liquor

Flavor

Overall experience

Ready? Let the Best Black Tea Battle begin!

Black Dragon Pearls

All black pearls are wiry, and uniform in color and size.

The most obvious difference among the dragon pearls is their size. Shine Wing Tea's pearls are definitely bigger than those of Teavivre's and Tealyra's.

Teavivre's pearls are darker in color than the other two. The black dragon pearls from Shine Wing Tea are moss green. Tealyra's are dark green, like juniper green with a few strands of brown while Teavivre's are seaweed green.

Aroma

Leaves

The dry black dragon pearls from Shine Wing Tea has an almost chocolatey aroma that's evident upon opening the bag. The dragon pearls from Tealyra have a subtle earthy aroma. Teavivre's black dragon pearls has an earthy aroma with a hint of cocoa.

From left to right: Shine Wing Tea, Tealyra, Teavivre

After steeping, the aroma of the pearls from Shine Wing Tea has become more apparent. There was also some sweetness into it that's not quite noticeable when they were dry.

Tealyra's black dragon pearls gave off a subtle earthy aroma after steeping, similar to the aroma of the pearls when they were dry. The aroma of Teavivre's steeped pearls was very subtle that you'd barely notice it.

Teavivre's black dragon pearls have completely unfurled after the first steeping while Tealyra's and Shine Wing Tea's haven't completely unfurled. You could probaly use the two for a few more steepings.

Liquor

All three gave us cups of dark-colored liquor. Tealyra's has a light roast aroma while Teavivre's Fengqing Dragon Pearl Black Tea has a stronger earthy aroma than Shine Wing Tea.

Both Tealyra and Shine Wing Tea have powdery sediments in the cup while Teavivre has none.

Flavor

This is the most exciting part of the comparison. We've reviewed all three black pearls individually in the past. While we had good experiences with each brand, having them side by side gave us a chance to find out which black dragon pearls stand out.

Tealyra has the lightest flavor among the three. We liked how smooth it is to drink, however, we hoped the flavor was a bit bolder. Shine Wing Tea has the most intense flavor, however it's not as smooth to drink as Tealyra or Teavivre. The aftertaste has a slight astringency and is a bit bitter.

Teavivre hit all the right spots for flavor and smoothness. Although it's still not as strong as we want our black tea to be, we prefer Teavivre over Tealyra and Shine Wing. It is full-bodied with no astringency in the aftertaste.

Overall Experience

When it was time to choose which black dragon pearls we liked best, we felt like we were Goldilocks. Remember how she tasted three bowls of porridge and preferred the bowl that is neither too hot nor too cold? Our experience was exactly like that with these pearls.

Tealyra was too mild while Shine Wing was very strong. Teavivre was just right. Among the three, we found ourselves constantly sipping Teavivre during and even after the comparison session.

*CompareTea received a sample to review from Shine Wing Tea. We made sure to keep our review as honest and unbiased as possible for the benefit of our readers.

]]>Aileen2017-07-06T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/black-dragon-pearls-shine-wing-tea
http://comparetea.com/black-dragon-pearls-shine-wing-teaBefore we go on to the review, let me give you a brief intro about me.

A few years back, I'm a self-confessed coffee addict. I literally can't function without coffee. And I wish that was an exaggeration. A morning without coffee means I will be staring out into space trying to keep myself awake but not having enough brain power to accomplish anything.

Because of health reasons, I had no choice but to give up coffee. To still have my much-needed caffeine, I resorted to tea, which I believe is gentler to my stomach and healthier than coffee. Naturally, I gravitated toward black tea. Since then, I'm always on the lookout for great tasting black tea. In fact, we've reviewed quite a few in the past few weeks.

Today, we'll be reviewing another one.

Tea Basics

Name: Black Dragon Pearls

Brand: Shine Wing Tea

Origin: Hunan, China

Flavor Profile: Bold and slightly bitter

Caffeine Content: high

Steeping Instructions: No instructions came with the package. For the review, we used four pearls for an 8-oz cup and steeped for four minutes at boiling point.

Black Dragon Pearls

The black dragon pearls were well rounded and are colored dark green or moss green. They have a sweet and almost chocolatey aroma. Compared with previous black dragon pearls we've tried, we find Shine Wing Tea's black dragon pearls to be heavier than the others. They are also a bit bigger.

There was no powder or dust in the bag.

Shine Wing Tea Brew

We steeped the four black dragon pearls twice.

First Steeping

For the first brew, we had a cup of dark brown liquor that almost look like black coffee. The thin leaves were brown and wiry. This black tea has a bold and earthy flavor. It also gives a bitter aftertaste. In addition, the aftertaste has a slight astringency too it.

As you may have noticed in the picture, there were some dusts or powdery sediments.

Second Steeping

The only difference between the first and second steeping was the intensity of the flavor. The second steeping gave a stronger flavor than the first one.

Overall Experience with Black Dragon Pearls from Shine Wing Tea

There are black tea varieties that wake you up gently — as in you feel yourself slowly becoming more alert as you finish your cup. And then there are those that jolt you into consciousness ;p. That's this kind of black tea.

I was just on my second or third sip when I noticed an increase in my heart rate and by the time I'm halfway through, I can already feel my heart pounding.

What I like about the black dragon pearls from Shine Wing Tea is its flavor. It gives such as strong flavor, you could use it the entire day (I tried) and still get a decent taste on your last cup.

You also won't have to worry about the caffeine content. While you may be drinking black tea several times a day, you're really just getting the amount of caffeine that's in the pearls you initially used. The caffeine content tapers as you go through the day so even if you have your last cuppa at 6 PM, you're not taking in a highly caffeinated drink that might keep you up all night. Price wise, this means you're getting the most from your pearls.

I would advise, however, to drink this tea slowly, especially if you're concerned about palpitations and heart rates.

*CompareTea received a sample pouch of black dragon pearls from Shine Wing Tea to review. We made sure to keep our review as honest and unbiased as possible for the benefit of our readers.

]]>Aileen2017-07-04T00:00:00+00:00Tea Benefitshttp://comparetea.com/teatox
http://comparetea.com/teatoxYou know summer is in full swing when teatox has suddenly taken over your social feeds. Haven't you noticed it yet? Several weeks before summer started, we've already seen a few #teatox posts on our Instagram feed and they've increased in frequency since then.

If you have no idea what it is, teatox = tea + detox. It's a weight loss trend that lets you lose weight in x amount of days just by drinking tea. Now, we all know drinking tea could help with weight management. What makes teatox look promising is the hundreds of testimonials both from celebrities and regular folks (like you and me) who have tried it.

Who wouldn't want to have that summer bod in just a few weeks and with little effort, right?

Make sure to do your research and talk to a healthcare professional if you're considering going on a teatox. While it may seem like a harmless diet trend, teatox could be bad for you.

Here are some things you need to know about it.

Teatox Ingredients

Most —if not all— teatox products are made from natural ingredients. Common components are:

Senna leaf - A popular teatox ingredient, senna is an FDA-approved non-prescriptive laxative. It's used to treat constipation, hemorrhoids, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Experts advised not to take senna for more than two weeks, otherwise, it could affect the normal functioning of your bowels. Long-term use could also lead to problems in your heart, muscles, and liver.

Garcinia Cambogia - Also called Malabar tamarind, Garcinia cambogia is a tropical fruit with fat-burning characteristics. It's said its active ingredient hydroxycitric acid (HCA) could also suppress appetite. Potential side effects of Garcinia cambogia are upset stomach/diarrhea, dry mouth, and dizzyness. HCA could also interact with medications and other supplements you're taking.

Yerba Mate - A plant abundant in South America, yerba mate contains high amounts of polyphenols, flavovoids, and caffeine. A 2001 study shows that it could significantly delay gastric emptying and improve "within-meal satiation." Its side effects include vomiting and nausea, restlessness or nervousness, irregular heartbeats and high blood pressure, and ringing in the ears. Yerba mate is possibly unsafe for pregnant and breast-feeding mothers. Taking it for a long period or in large amounts could also put you at risk of kidney, esophageal, laryngeal, and lung cancer. Those who drink alcohol and smoke are at higher risk of these conditions.

Guarana - Common in Brazil and native to the Amazon Basin, Guarana has higher caffeine content than coffee, making it a popular ingredient in energy drinks. Because caffeine is a known stimulant, guarana is thought to help in weight loss by supposedly increasing metabolism. Common side effects of Guarana are stomach irritation, anxiety, high blood pressure, glaucoma, osteoporosis, and insomnia.

Teatox Program

A lot of teatox programs last for at least a week to about a month. And that's one of the reasons some healthcare professionals are not recommending it. Remember, senna leaves should only be taken short-term, for a maximum of 14 days. If you're going on a 28-day teatox with a product that has senna as its main ingredient, you're definitely way over the recommended duration.

With a teatox, you'll be drinking two types of tea: one in the morning (morning boost) and another in the evening (evening cleanse). The morning tea is a stimulant that claims to give you energy throughout the day, increase metabolism, and suppress your appetite. The evening tea serves as a colon cleanse, getting rid of toxins in your body.

Teatox Side Effects

While many would say teatox has little to no side effects, keep in mind that no two bodies are the same. Your overall health status and medical history play a huge role in determining what you'll be experiencing when you start a teatox program —especially one that lasts for several weeks. The different types of tea you'll be drinking could also interact with your medications, supplements, and even contraceptive pills.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding are also two factors you need to consider carefully when thinking about going on a teatox.

So, should you teatox? Not before consulting your doctor. Stay on the safe side this summer and enjoy the season by not just being skinny but healthy too.

Want to learn more about weight management through tea? Check out the following links:

]]>Aileen2017-06-30T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/first-grade-white-peony-tea-shine-wing-tea
http://comparetea.com/first-grade-white-peony-tea-shine-wing-teaAlso called as Bai Mu Dan, White Peony is a popular type of white tea that's loved around the world for its refreshing floral and mellow flavor.

This first-grade white peony we're reviewing came from Shine Wing Tea, a tea exporter based in Hunan, China.

Tea Basics

White tea is made from "budsets" composed of one to two leaves and a bud. The most noteable characterisitc of the leaves is that they're covered with fine white hair. The budset is known as "SanBai" and is plucked early in the spring. The budsets are then left to whither.

Name: 1st Grade White Peony

Brand: Shine Wing Tea

Origin: Hunan, China

Flavor Profile: Mild, slightly floral and fruity with a hint of sweetness

Caffeine Content: In general, white tea has low caffeine content

Steeping Instructions: Use about two to three teaspoons of white peony leaves for an 8-oz cup. Steep for three to five minutes between 175-degree and 180-degree temperature.

White Peony Tea Leaves

The whole leaves are tippy, neat, and uniform in color and size. The dark green white peony leaves have a delightful subtle floral aroma that could instantly relax you.

White Peony Brew

For the review, we used three teaspoons of first-grade white peony leaves by Shine Wing Tea for an 8-oz cup and steeped it for five minutes.

The aroma of the steeped leaves is less noticeable than the aroma of the dry leaves. Although it retained its floral aroma, there was also a hint of freshly cut grass mixed in. The liquor on the other hand, has a mild floral aroma.

First Steeping of White Peony Tea

The first brew gave us a cup of beautiful pale yellow liquor. Its flavor is mild without any astringent taste. The liquor is thin and with some floral notes. You'll get that gentle sweetness as an aftertaste.

Second Steeping of White Peony Tea

Our second steeping gave us a liquor that's slightly paler than what we had from our first steep but there was no remarkable change in flavor.

We only tried steeping twice but with the difference in flavor between the first and second steepings, we think you could do one more round of tea with the white peony leaves (three teaspoons).

Overall White Peony Tea Experience

We liked its clean, mellow flavor and the gentle sweet aftertaste is a nice treat. Because the flavor is mild, it's not difficult to make this tea your go-to tea during the day. We steeped white peony again the next day and we found ourselves just reaching for pot and refilling it throughout the day.

Of course, if you're drinking tea for its caffeine content, you'd be better off with black tea or oolong tea.

As an avid green tea drinker, my mom said she'd welcome a change in her evening tea time and drink this instead.

Interested to get White Peony Tea from Shine Wing Tea? Check them out on Instagram or get in touch with them through Whatsapp (+8618373377959). You can also send an email to shinewingtea@gmail.com.

*CompareTea received a sample pouch of first-grade White Peony tea from Shine Wing Tea to review. We made sure to keep our review as honest and unbiased as possible for the benefit of our readers.

]]>Aileen2017-06-28T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/indias-original-masala-chai-vahdam-tea
http://comparetea.com/indias-original-masala-chai-vahdam-teaWe started the day with a nice cup of India's Original Masala Chai Tea from Vahdam Teas, a direct-to-consumer tea brand founded in 2015. Vahdam Teas is known for offering garden fresh high-quality teas and patronizing a truly ethical and fair tea trade.

Okay, enough about the company and more on today's tea.

Tea Basics

This tea came in a box. When we opened it, we were surprised that it wasn't in a resealable bag... and then we saw that it came with one. You just have to transfer it yourself. There was also a sticker with all the important details of the tea, such as month of packaging.

Name: India's Original Masala Chai Tea

Brand: Vahdam Teas

Origin: Assam, India

Flavor Profile: Slightly malty with flavor of fresh cardamoms and delicate notes of cloves and black pepper | The base tea for this signature blend is a combination of Assam Crush-to-Curl (CTC) and orthodox leaves

Caffeine Content: High

Steeping Instructions:

For a traditional chai tea with milk, mix one portion of milk with two portions of water in a saucepan. Once water is boiling, add one to two teaspoons of Masala Chai tea leaves and boil for another two to three minutes. Add sugar to taste and strain leaves out.

For black tea, use a teaspoon (about 2 grams) Masala Chai tea leaves for a cup of 200-ml water and steep for three to five minutes at 194- to 212-degree Fahrenheit (90- to 100- Celsius)

For green tea, steep for two to five minutes at the same water temperature and with the same amount of tea leaves

Dry India's Original Masala Chai Tea Leaves

The first thing you'd notice when you open the pack of India's Original Masala Chai tea is its aroma. It was so inviting. In fact, it took us a couple of minutes before we decided we've done enough sniffing of the bag. Haha!

The leaves have a strong, complex aroma. There was a bit of a nutty scent. The aroma of cinnamon and cardamom really stood out. There was also a hint of black pepper and cloves.

Steeped India's Original Masala Chai Tea

We tried making India's Original Masala Chai tea in two ways: in traditional chai with milk and without milk.

With Milk

In the first cup we made, we used two teaspoons for Masala Chai tea leaves and boiled them for three minutes. We used 4-oz of milk and 8-oz of water. The flavor for this one is too strong for us. You could really smell and taste the cinnamon and cardamom.

For the second cup, we decided to use just one teaspoon of tea leaves and boil them for two minutes. We liked this one better as the flavor is more mellow than the first one. It's also creamier, which worked out good for us.

Tip: Please don't let your chai tea sit too long, otherwise, a thin layer —called milk film— will form on top. This is common when milk is boiled and is the result of the break down (or denaturation) of protein and then its coagulation with fat in milk.

Without Milk

This is basically just black tea as the steeping preparations are the same. Without milk, the flavor of the cardamom, cinnamon, and other spices are even more pronounced. We added a packet of sugar to sweeten the taste.

Overall Experience with India's Original Masala Chai Tea

India's Original Masala Chai tea by Vahdam Teas is one of the most flavorful and complex teas we've tried. The aroma is enough to excite you as you patiently wait for your tea to boil. You would have to experiment on how much tea you should use but that's part of the experience with this tea.

Is this for you? If you like a strong, robust flavor for your tea and love spices, this tea is calling out to you.

As a final note, my dad was on point when after drinking it, he said, "This is not your everyday-kind-of-tea. This is something I'd drink to psyche myself up for a busy day or treat myself to after a hectic workweek." In short, we'd keep it for days when we need some spice in our lives. Besides, all work and no tea makes a dull boring life. :)

Want to try this tea? We got ours for $9.95 with free shipping. You can also order directly from Vahdam Teas. They offer worldwide shipping for a fee, which varies depending on the type of shipping and your location.

Enjoy your teatime!

]]>Aileen2017-06-26T00:00:00+00:00Tea Lifestylehttp://comparetea.com/tea-storage-tips
http://comparetea.com/tea-storage-tipsOne of the things we have to learn when we started buying loose leaf tea is proper storage. We'll be honest, we weren't good at tea storage at first. But we've picked up many things along the way and we'd like to share them with you.

Here are some tea storage tips to keep your tea stash fresh longer.

1. Store Your Leaves in an Airtight Container

This is the #1 tip on tea storage you will ever receive. And for a while, we thought this is enough. If it doesn't take a long time for you to finish your stash of tea, you'll probably get by just following this tip.

However, if your stock stays with you for months, then you'd have to take better care of it.

Choosing Your Tea Storage

Seal and material are important factors to consider when looking for the perfect tea container. Resealable multi-ply bags, double lids, and metal canisters or silicone seals are all great choices. If a container can keep water out, it can keep air out too.

For the material, it should be food-safe and odor-free. If you're getting a plastic container, make sue it's made of non-leaching plastic. For tins should be made of non-reactive metals. Opaque bags are also commonly used for storing teas. Be careful when using a wooden container as it may affect the flavor of your tea.

Keeping air away from your tea goes beyond having an airtight container. It should be the right size, too. A half-filled bag or tin means there's still room for oxygen in the container. When filling a container, shake it gently until your leaves have settled and continue filling it until there's no more space.

2. Protect Your Stash From Light

The only time you have to worry about this is when you're storing your tea in a transparent container. If that's the case, make sure to keep the container in a dark cabinet. If your tea came in a clear plastic pouch, think about changing its container, especially if you don't have a place to keep it away from light.

3. Keep Tea Away from Heat

Heat accelerates oxidation, which then speeds up the tea degradation process. Exposure to heat also increases the possibility of moisture getting into your tea container. Choose a storage location that's far from your oven or stove.

4. Prevent Moisture from Getting into Your Container

When talking about moisture, remember that it's not as simple as storing your tea in a dry place and away from liquids. Tea also absorbs moisture from the air. Make sure to store your tea far from your oven or stove.

5. Keep Tea Away from Strong Odors

Tea absorbs odor really well. On one hand, this is a great characteristic as we're all able to enjoy scented teas. On the other hand, it could also absorb unpleasant odors, making tea storage a bit trickier. As mentioned earlier, a good tea container must be odor-free. In addition, it's best NOT to store your tea in the kitchen or basement, as these are the parts of the house that often has strong odors.

Improper tea storage could accelerate degradation and no one wants good tea to be put to waste. Keep yours fresh longer with these easy-to-follow tips!

Have a tea storage tip you'd like to share with us? Leave it in the comments or send us a short note and we'd share it with the rest of the tea tribe!

]]>Aileen2017-06-25T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/numi-flowering-tea-bouquet
http://comparetea.com/numi-flowering-tea-bouquetToday's review is a bit different from the once we've done in the past. We won't just be talking about one tea but three! We got all that's left in our Numi Flowering TeaTM Petite Bouquet box and set out for a brewing bonanza.

We've reviewed Numi Dragon Lily Flowering Tea a couple of weeks ago. You can check it out here.

Golden Jasmine Black Tea

This was the first one we tried because we did the review early in the morning and thought a cup of nice black tea would give us a boost... and it sure did!

Tea Basics

Flavor Profile: Hints of chocolate

Caffeine Content: Nothing was mentioned but black tea (in general) has high level of caffeine

Steeping Time & Temperature: Three to five minutes with boiling water

Steeping Instructions: Place Numi flower tea blossom in a teapot and pour boiling water. Steep for three to four minutes to have the flower bloom fully. Swirl tea to even the flavor.

Price: $85.95 for an 8-ounce bag, with approximately 30 blossoms

Dry Golden Jasmine Blossom

Just by holding the blossom, you'd know this was made with full attention to detail. Nothing was out of place or loose.

We tried doing a timelapse to show the flower blooming but we had a few challenges:

Our glass teapot was too big. We tried it with Dragon Lily and it didn't quite work.

Our glass teapot was too small. Because we've already done this once, we have an idea how big a blossom could bloom and our cup just won't give enough room.

The liquor was too dark (we're complaining) that the bloom wasn't visible enough.

Despite all these, we're still showing you what we had! We used a beer mug for steeping (hey, you gotta do what you gotta do, right?)

Steeped Golden Jasmine Blossom

We steeped each blossom twice although you can resteep three times at most.

Numi Golden Jasmine Flowering Tea is a full bodied black tea with chocolate notes you'd immediately notice on first sip. The liquor is very dark brown (almost like coffee or cognac), which is expected with black tea. But it also has a somewhat creamy appearance.

The flavor lingers in your mouth and gives an aftertaste that makes you want to have another cuppa! It has a subtle Jasmine aroma, which is perfect. I'm not really into anything Jasmine but I didn't mind the aroma of this tea.

Golden Jasmine is a great morning tea, giving you a good boost to start your day. Although it may be high in caffeine, it didn't give me that jittery feeling —that I often get when I've had too much coffee— even after my second mug.

Overall Experience With Golden Jasmine

Numi Organic Tea did a great job with this! In fact, of the three I tasted today, it is my favorite. If I were to stock up on this, I'd keep it as one of my morning tea options, next to Tealyra's Black Dragon Pearls.

Sunset Oolong Tea

Tea Basics

Flavor Profile: Nutty richness with hints of peach

Caffeine Content: Nothing was mentioned but the caffeine level of oolong tea is between that of green tea and black tea.

Steeping Time & Temperature: Three to five minutes with boiling water

Steeping Instructions: Place Numi flower tea blossom in a teapot and pour boiling water. Steep for three to four minutes to have the flower bloom fully. Swirl tea to even the flavor.

Price: $85.95 for an 8-ounce bag, with approximately 25 blossoms

Dry Sunset Oolong Blossom

Similar to Golden Jasmine, the Sunset Oolong blossom is a tight ball. The bright pink and orange colors on top (which initially resembled crepe papers) make it look livelier and more inviting than the rest of the blossoms in this sampler set.

Steeped Sunset Oolong Blossom

The liquor has a beautiful golden brown or amber color. The first thing I noticed was its grassy aroma. It reminds me of the scent of freshly mowed grass. Next that got my attention was how thin it feels in my mouth. It also has a very light, and subtle nutty flavor with no aftertaste.

Overall Experience With Sunset Oolong

I love the simplicity of this tea. Numi's Sunset Oolong Flowering tea is a good aftermeal tea. Its subtle flavor and aroma relax you and give your senses a respite after a heavy (and most probably flavorful) meal.

Lavender Dream

Tea Basics

Steeping Instructions: Place Numi flower tea blossom in a teapot and pour boiling water. Steep for three to four minutes to have the flower bloom fully. Swirl tea to even the flavor.

Price: It seemed you can only get this in a pack. Numi's Flowering TeaTM category on their website doesn't include this variant anymore.

Dry Lavender Dream Blossom

I loved the aroma of Lavender Dream's blossom so much it made me excited to try the tea. Unlike Sunset Oolong, which has a very subtle aroma, Lavender Dream has a strong fragrance you'd immediately notice when you take it out of the packaging.

Steeped Lavender Dream Blossom

The liquor has a strong Lavender aroma and overwhelmingly tangy flavor. Its color is light brown with a tinge of Lavender. It also has a strong astringency that stays in your mouth longer than you'd want it there. On the second steeping, I was hoping the flavor would mellow down a bit but it didn't.

Overall Experience With Lavender Dream

I loved the smell of the dry blossom but I didn't like the liquor it produced. If you like a stronger-flavored tea this would probably work for you. Unfortunately, it didn't for me. Among the four blossoms, this is my least favorite variety.

Final Thoughts on Numi Flowering TeaTM

If you're getting into blooming or flowering tea, buying a sampler pack is the best way to go as you get to try different varieties and decide which one you'd want to stock up on.

Trying out this pack has been a unique experience for us. A part of it was challenging as we didn't get the beautiful blooms we were hoping to have. Hence the absence of photos of the blooms in this review. They all just looked like leaves bundled together and left in the mug to steep. Come to think of it, that's what they are! Haha!

The aroma of the four blossoms were great. Although Lavender Dream's flavor disappointed us a bit, this pack is still worth a try as the remaining three did give us a great tea time!

]]>Aileen2017-06-22T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/tie-guan-yin-oolong-tea-teavivre-floral-aroma
http://comparetea.com/tie-guan-yin-oolong-tea-teavivre-floral-aromaWe hope you like our reviews and the products we feature. Just FYI, Comparetea collects a share of sales from the links on this post, which supports our work.

We've had Tie Guan Yin Oolong before but this sampler pack from Teavivre surprised us in many ways.

Tea Basics

Name: Tie Guan Yin “Iron Goddess” Oolong Tea

Brand: Teavivre

Origin: Anxi, Fujian

Flavor Profile: Fresh floral

Caffeine Content: Low

Steeping Time & Temperature: Three to five minutes (in the package, it says three to ten minutes) at 212-degree Fahrenheit (100-degree Celsius) for a 12-ounce (355 ml) teacup for the Western method of brewing. For the Chinese Gongfu way, brew at 212-degree Fahrenheit (100-degree Celsius) for a 3.8-ounce (110 ml) gaiwan.

Steeping Instructions: Use two teaspoons or 5 grams of tea for the Western method. For gongfu, use 7 grams of tea and steep seven times (15s, 25s, 35s, 45s, 55s, 75s,and 85s). Make sure to rinse before starting the first steep.

Price: Between $2 and $82.90 depending on package size. Smallest size is 14 grams (sample in zip bag). Biggest is 500 grams, which is available in zip bag or tin.

Dry Tie Guan Yin "Iron Goddess" Oolong Tea Leaves

What surprised us when we opened the package was the aroma. The dry leaves have a strong floral fragrance (Jasmine) and a deep green color. We could imagine ourselves in a field of flowers on a summer day with this tea. The leaves were also tightly rolled and when you roll them between your fingers, they don't break easily.

Steeped Tie Guan Yin "Iron Goddess" Oolong Tea Leaves

Preparation

For our review, we wanted to make two cups but our sampler pack is just 7 grams — not enough for two cups if we're to follow the instructions.

To make two cups, we used 1.5 teaspoons for an 8-ounce mug and 1 teaspoon for a 6-ounce mug. We steeped the first cup for five minutes and the second cup for ten minutes.

Steeping

One thing to remember when steeping this tea is to use a bigger tea infuser or adjust the amount of leaves you're going to use. You'd be surprised at how big these leaves unfurl. We were! It was a good thing we didn't use two teaspoons of leaves to make tea.

Liquor

The liquor was pale yellow, although the one that we steeped longer had a darker — almost golden — color. It has a notable floral flavor that lingers at the back of your throat and has a slightly sweet aftertaste.

Although the floral flavor was very obvious, it was not overwhelming. We didn't, however, try a second steeping as the flavor was already light on the first steeping.

Overall Tie Guan Yin "Iron Goddess" Oolong Tea Experience

We've never had a Tie Guan Yin "Iron Goddess" Oolong tea with an aroma that is both strong and delicate. We welcomed the difference. It was amazing! We'd brew a cup just to smell it.

The product information said this is low in caffeine, but it might be a bit higher (?) as we felt like we just had coffee after having it. It put us in a good mood and allowed us to focus on our work — in my case, that's writing this review. Haha! This is an amazing variety that you could drink at any time of the day.

So, is this tea for you? If floral aroma and flavor is your thing, this is definitely for you. Also, if you're into light, flavory tea varieties, this Tie Guan Yin "Iron Goddess" Oolong Tea is a must-try.

Where to Buy This Oolong Tea

Wondering where to buy Tie Guan Yin "Iron Goddess" Oolong Tea by Teavivre? Check out the following links:

]]>Aileen2017-06-20T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/numi-dragon-lily-flower-tea-perfect-quiet-nights
http://comparetea.com/numi-dragon-lily-flower-tea-perfect-quiet-nightsWe hope you like our reviews and the products we feature. Just FYI, Comparetea collects a share of sales from the links on this post, which supports our work.

We found this Petite Bouquet of Numi Flowering Tea for just $5.99 at the World Market in Arlington, TX. In Amazon, it sells for $9.55. We found an awesome deal, right? You could also get this from World Market’s website. You’ll find the link below.

The pack comes with four types of blossoms:

Dragon Lily

Sunset Oolong

Lavender Dream

Golden Jasmine

We’ve tried Numi Organic Tea a few times and we were never disappointed. It’s safe to say we’ve set our expectations for this pack.

Tea Basics

Name: Dragon Lily White Tea (Loose Tea)

Brand: Numi Organic Tea

Origin: N/A

Flavor Profile: Velvety, sweet Apricot

Caffeine Content: Nothing was mentioned in the box but white tea generally has very little caffeine in it.

Steeping Time & Temperature: Three to five minutes with boiling water

Steeping Instructions: Place Numi flower tea blossom in a teapot and pour boiling water. Steep for three to four minutes to have the flower bloom fully. Swirl tea to even the flavor.

Price: $85.85 for an 8-ounce bag, which contains about 25 pieces

Dry Numi Dragon Lily Flowering Tea

Numi flower teas were carefully hand sewn by artisans and you could see that in the blossom. The mushroom-shaped dragon lily white tea blossom looked tightly packed. And judging by the size, it could probably make a few 8-ounce cups of tea.

Steeped Numi Dragon Lily Flowering Tea

For our tea review, we used the tea blossom thrice as the instruction said we could do.

We were initially hesitant to use boiling water for white tea. The recommended steeping temperature for this type of tea is between 170 degrees Fahrenheit and 185 degrees Fahrenheit. Others prefer 160-degrees for with white tea.

First Steep

For our first try, we decided to brew it with a water temperature of 175 degrees. We steeped it for four minutes to get the full flavor.

As it was our first time try a flower tea, it was a bit of a let down when we didn’t get that “beautiful flower” we were expecting. What we had looked like a bunch of tied unfurled tea leaves. It was quite a mess.

Did you have the same experience?

For the first steeping of Numi flower tea dragon lily variant, the tea was very pale. While the flavor was light, it was still pleasant. As expected with Numi tea, there was no astringent-like taste.

Second and Third Tries

We used boiling water for the second and third pots and still steeped for four minutes.

Our second steeping gave us a beautiful golden colored tea. There was a significant difference in color and taste between the first and second steeping. We got more flavor in this steeping than in the first one. We could almost taste the sweetness of the apricot in it.

We got a decent flavor for the third steeping but the color is paler than the second one.

Overall Numi Dragon Lily Flowering Tea Experience

For flavor and color, Numi’s Dragon Lily Flower Tea met our expectations. For us, this is a great tea to have a night. With its light flavor and white tea’s low caffeine content, it could relax you and set the tone for a quiet me time. It’s also perfect for winding down after a busy day.

What disappointed us with this tea is how it looked when it “bloomed.” If you’re getting flower tea to have a beautiful bloom in your pot, this one might disappoint you. And $85 for an 8-ounce bag is a bit pricey for us, considering the kind of bloom we got with it.

But hey, we’re not giving up on this pack yet! We still have three more blossoms to try!

For more information on Numi’s Dragon Lily Flower Tea, you may visit the following sites:

]]>Aileen2017-06-12T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/teavivres-dragon-pearl-black-tea-worth-money
http://comparetea.com/teavivres-dragon-pearl-black-tea-worth-moneyWe hope you like our reviews and the products we feature. Just FYI, Comparetea collects a share of sales from the links on this post, which supports our work.

Buying tea online from a source you’ve never gotten tea before is always a risk for many tea drinkers. Here at CompareTea, we think of it as an adventure. While we may have our favorite tea sources, we try to broaden our horizons and step out into the unknown.

Our search led us to Teavivre, one of the most popular tea brands among tea lovers and in a lot of online tea communities. Because they offer a huge selection of teas, we decided to get their Featured Sampler Gift pack.

Steeping Time & Temperature: Three to five minutes at 203-degree Fahrenheit or 95-degree Celsius

Steeping Instructions: The sampler pack doesn’t come with other brewing instructions except for the time and temperature. Their website, however, says to use three dragon pearls for a 12-oz (355 ml) cup if you’re using the western method to brew. If you’d like to do it the Chinese gongfu way, use three to four dragon pearls and steep five times for 20, 10, 10, 20, and 60 seconds. Don’t forget to rinse before the first steeping.

Price: Between $2 and $77.90 depending on package size

Dry Fengqing Dragon Pearl Black Tea

Teavivre’s Fenging dragon pearls are shaped by hand. Each piece has a diameter of about 8 to 12 millimeters. The dragon pearls were beautifully rolled and are almost even in size. The sampler pack we got contains 10 pearls.

Close your eyes and imagine you’re in a grassfield; a cocoa plant isn’t too far away. That’s the aroma of these pearls –earthy with a whiff of cocoa.

We used the Western method for steeping and tried steeping using three pearls and seven pearls. We did each for a full five minutes for an 8-oz cup (237 ml).

Steeped Fengqing Dragon Pearl Black Tea

My dad (yes, sometimes our tea reviews turn into a family thing. Haha!) liked how smooth it is. My mom loved that despite being a black tea, it gives you a mild flavor. Both tried a couple of cups steeped with three pearls and seven pearls. They preferred the one steeped with seven pearls.

As I like my black tea with richer flavor, I already knew steeping with three pearls wouldn’t give me the taste that I was looking for. I still had to try, though. 5 pearls did work its magic on me. Given that these dragon pearls offer a milder flavor than other black tea varieties, the taste I got with 5 pearls met my expectations for this tea.

A second steeping gave a very weak flavor that we’d recommend using the pearls only once.

Overall Fengqing Dragon Pearl Black Tea Experience

My folks had a great time with this tea! If we had more, I think this is the one they’d take out of the cupboard more often.

The top three things we loved about this tea –and probably the reasons we’d buy this tea online again –are:

Its rich color

Its smoothness

Its aroma

Is it worth your money? Yes. We find the prices for this tea reasonable. Teavivre offers it in zip pouches and tin cans.

A sampler set containing two packs with each pack weighing 7 grams each is just $2. A 100-gram pack costs $12.90. If you’re a big tea drinker and you need more, you can buy a 500-gram bag for only $57.90 ora 500-gram tin can for just $77.90.

Is it for you? Fengqing Dragon Pearl Black tea’s smooth, mellow flavor is perfect if you want to get into black tea but aren’t ready for the full-bodied ones yet. It’s also the right tea for those who prefer a milder black tea that doesn’t have pronounced peaks.

If you’re looking for or are used to stronger types of black tea, consider looking for Teavivre’s other black tea varieties before you decide to buy tea online.

You can find out more about Teavivre’s Fenging Dragon Pearl Black tea here.

]]>Aileen2017-06-06T00:00:00+00:00Tea Lifestylehttp://comparetea.com/top-11-sites-buy-tea-online-find-amazing-deals
http://comparetea.com/top-11-sites-buy-tea-online-find-amazing-dealsWhen we first decided to buy tea online, our first choice has been Amazon.com. Call us lazy, but we thought it was the most convenient place for us. Now that we’ve been at it for a while, we’ve eventually moved on from Amazon to other sources.

And boy, there are a lot of sources you can buy tea online from! Too many, in fact, that oftentimes we wonder if we’re making the right choices.

Do you sometimes feel that way too? It’s hard, isn’t it?

We’re here to help!

Here are 11 websites many tea drinkers love to buy tea online from.

1. Teavivre

Teavivre is composed of tea lovers from Canada, France, and China who are passionate about drinking great tea and living healthy lifestyles. Their tea are sourced directly from tea producers in China known for producing high-quality tea

Founded in 1999, Adagio Teas offers farm-fresh teas and innovative teaware. You’ll find them on Epinions and BizRate as one of the highest rated companies. According to Consumer Union, Adagio Teas have the “most trustworthy” consumer practices.

There you have it! Whatever type of tea you want to get, we hope you find it from any of these sources. Buy tea online and don't forget to share your experience with us!

]]>Aileen2017-06-01T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/tie-guan-yin-oolong-tea-youd-want-stock
http://comparetea.com/tie-guan-yin-oolong-tea-youd-want-stock We hope you like our reviews and the products we feature. Just FYI, Comparetea collects a share of sales from the links on this post, which supports our work.

We're going to say it now because we just can't wait until later in the post to tell you. We absolutely love this tea!

If you're in search for the best oolong tea, you should definitely try this.

Tea Basics

Name: TGY (Tie Guan Yin ) Oolong

Brand: Summit Tea Company

Origin: Fujian, China

Flavor Profile: Earthy Oolong flavor with floral notes

Caffeine Content: Nothing mentioned on the package or on their website. In general, 100 milliliters of oolong tea (about 20 teaspoons) brewed for three minutes has approximately 20 milligrams of caffeine.

Steeping Time & Temperature: Three minutes at 175-degree Fahrenheit or 95-degree Celsius for green tea; four minutes at near boil for black tea; five minutes or more at near boil for herbal infusion.

Steeping Instructions: For hot tea, use a heaping teaspoon (about 3 grams) of TGY oolong leaves for every 8-ounce (approximately 237 milliliters) cup. To make iced tea, steep two teaspoons for every 8-ounce then pour over ice.

Price: $8.29 (in Amazon) for a pouch weighing 5.3 ounces.

Dry TGY Oolong Leaves

TGY Oolong from Summit Tea Company comes in a transparent resealable, stand-up pouch. We noticed the seal of the packaging is tighter than those of other tea products we've bought. This is perfect if you don't have a container to store your loose leaves.

The pack we got last May 18 was manufactured on April 10 so we received a pretty fresh batch.

TGY Oolong tea leaves were tightly wound and are even in size. We also checked for dust (the fine powder that's often leftovers of harvested tea leaves) at the bottom of the bag and we're happy to tell you that there was none.

We absolutely liked the aroma of these very dark green loose leaves. It is sweet with a hint of flowers.

Could this be the best oolong tea for us?

Steeped TGY Oolong Leaves

For our tea review, we tried steeping TGY Oolong for three minutes and then for four minutes. Each time, we did a second steeping as it was suggested in the packaging that each teaspoon could be used for three steepings.

The leaves unfurl into beautiful sage green whole leaves. Just like steeping other types of loose leaves, you'd want to use bigger tea infuser or strainer. A small tea ball won't give enough space for the leaves to unfurl completely.

3-Minute Steeping Time

We find the flavor to be light but definitely not underwhelming. If you need to relax or are already winding down for the day, a three-minute steeping time is probably best. You'll a get a cup of delightful copper-colored tea with a light flavor and a subtle fruity note.

Although the website and packaging suggest multiple steeping for a teaspoon of loose TGY Oolong leaves, we don't recommend it. The flavor and color of our second steeping is remarkably lighter than the first one. Remember, the flavor for a three-minute steeping time is already light. There's very little flavor left on the second one.

4-Minute Steeping Time

A four-minute steeping time gave us a cup of tea with a fuller a flavor and (of course) a bit darker color. Between this one and the ones we steeped for three minutes, this is the best oolong tea we steeped. You might want to drink one in the morning though. With its flavor, it could give you a nice boost to start your day.

TGY Oolong tea from Summit Tea Company has no bites or that astringency taste that's common in some types of tea.

When we tried a second steeping, it gave us a lighter flavor but not as light as the one we had with a three-minute steeping time. We'd say, the second steeping is still okay.

Overall TGY Oolong Experience

We had the best oolong tea experience with Summit Tea Company's TGY Oolong tea! The most awesome part in all this is that we didn't have to spend a fortune for it. For less than $9 a pouch, this is definitely great deal.

You see, you don't have to spend a lot on high-quality tea. You just need to know where to look. Ready to try one of the best oolong tea around? You can buy through Amazon or directly from summittea.com.

]]>Aileen2017-05-29T00:00:00+00:00Tea Reviewshttp://comparetea.com/tea-review-black-dragon-pearl-tea-tealyra
http://comparetea.com/tea-review-black-dragon-pearl-tea-tealyraWe hope you like our reviews and the products we feature. Just FYI, Comparetea collects a share of sales from the links on this post, which supports our work.

Tea review time! First up on our list is Tealyra's Black Dragon Pearl Tea. We were very excited for this tea review because (1) it's our first time to try dragon pearls and (2) it's our first time to try Tealyra.

Tea Basics

Before we go to the fun part, let's get to the basics.

Name: Black Dragon Pearls

Brand: Tealyra

Origin: Yunnan Province, China

Flavor Profile: According to Tealyra's website, their Black Dragon Pearl tea is smooth and chocolatey with earthy notes and a natural sweet flavor like raisins.

Caffeine Content: High

Steeping Time and Temperature: two to three minutes at 205-degree Fahrenheit or 95-degress Celsius.

Instructions: Packaging says 1 teaspoon for every 8-oz or 200-ml of water. Tealyra's website recommends two to three pearls per cup.

Price: $15.45 for a 4-oz/100 g bag

To review Tealyra's Black Dragon Pearls, we used filtered water, a tea strainer, and a ceramic tea set. For those who are wondering, we heated the water on a stove.

Dry Black Dragon Pearls

The pearls were well twisted and are not crumbly. The aroma from the bag and the black dragon pearls themselves is earthy but subtle.

For our Black Dragon Pearl tea review, we decided to create two batches of tea. One using three dragon pearls and another using seven dragon pearls.

A common suggestion by those who have already tried Black Dragon Pearl tea by Tealyra was five pearls. However, we felt that seven pearls would give us the flavor that we wanted to achieve.

Steeped Black Dragon Pearl Tea

Using Three Black Dragon Pearls

Three pearls isn't enough for an 8-oz pot. If you're just making tea in a small teacup, maybe three would work.

Our suggestion? Use more than three pearls!

Using Seven Black Dragon Pearls

This is really the part of the tea review that we enjoyed the most! For us, seven pearls for 12 oz of water is perfect.

Black tea, in general, is a strong, full-bodied drink. Tealyra's Black Dragon Pearl tea is not as strong as other varieties of black tea. But it isn't weak either. It gives you the right amount of flavor that you don't mistake it as another type of (lighter) tea, yet it doesn't overwhelm you with the taste.

Apart from the flavor, we loved its subtle earthy notes and its smoothness. It also doesn't have any astringent taste.

We liked it a lot that we decided to resteep with 8 oz of water twice. That's 28 oz of tea for seven pearls. In all instances, we followed the recommended steeping time, which is three minutes. The third batch did have lesser flavor but it is still desirable for our taste.

Is the caffeine high enough to give you a good boost in the morning? We couldn't say but it did help us get through our busy morning — of course, we'd have to consider that we had more than 12 oz of tea.

Overall Experience

We definitely had a good tea time with Tealyra's Black Dragon Pearl tea. This tea may be high in caffeine but we think this is the kind of tea you could drink anytime — even at night (yes, we've tried it.)

If you're just getting into black tea, Black Dragon Pearl tea by Tealyra is a great first black tea option. This way, you could work your way up to stronger black tea varieties as you get into your tea journey. You'll have more reasons to drink tea daily.

If you're drinking small amounts of tea throughout the day and you prefer black tea that's a little friendlier to your tastebuds, Tealyra's Black Dragon Pearl tea is right for you. You could use the same pearls you used with your first cup throughout the day. You won't even have to worry about going over your daily caffeine limit as you'll only get most of it from your first cup.

Determining how many pearls you should use may mean you'd have to experiment on your first few tries but you can start with five pearls as many people did. You could also use seven like we did. Simply adjust the taste by using more pearls or steeping for a longer period. Just be sure to use the right temperature. Using water that's very hot could result in a bitter and woody taste (and yes, we've tried it, too).

So, are we going to buy Black Dragon Pearl tea from Tealyra again? Of course!

Have you tried this tea? Let us know what you think and share your experience with us!

]]>Aileen2017-05-22T00:00:00+00:00Tea Benefitshttp://comparetea.com/best-tea-skin
http://comparetea.com/best-tea-skinTea offers many benefits. We all know it could help lower cholesterol levels, reduce anxiety, and improve digestion. But did you know it could also make your skin healthy?

Yes, our favorite drink takes care of us inside and out! We've rounded up the best types of tea for your skin so you could have that healthy, beautiful glow.

1. Jasmine

Jasmine tea is known for its antibacterial and antiviral properties. It could also help treat acne and eczema as it could balance your hormones and limit oil production. Jasmine tea is also popular for helping manage signs of aging.

2. Calendula

Many people know calendula as pot marigold. It’s a wound-healing herbal tea that targets your digestive and lymphatic systems. Calendula tea helps detoxify your body as it has high levels of antioxidants and carotenoid. It could get rid of toxins which could have harmful effects on your skin.

3. Chamomile

Chamomile tea isn’t just great for relaxation. It is one of the best types of tea for skin that people often use topically. Many apply it on their skin to treat inflammation, acne, and rashes. Some also use it to get rid of dry skin.

4. Peppermint

Peppermint tea could help increase your estrogen level, keeping hormonal imbalances and acne at bay. Its properties could also slow down oil production, which is great for people with oily skin.

5. Rooibos

With its anti-inflammatory properties, rooibos or red tea could help treat acne, rosacea, and other skin conditions. It also prevents signs of aging from showing up such as fine lines.

6. Green Tea

If you’re always under the sun, then green tea is one of the best types of tea for your skin. It could counter the effects of the sun, such as sunburn and long-term UV damage. Green tea could even prevent non-melanoma skin cancer.

7. Matcha

Matcha is a common ingredient used in various facial products like creams and face masks –and for good reason. It is rich in natural antibiotics, antioxidants, and chlorophyll.

8. Oregon Grape Root

Oregon grape root tea could help treat different skin conditions, including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and dry eczema. It could also help with digestion and liver congestion.

9. Kombucha

Some people use kombucha tea to enhance skin elasticity, lessen fine lines, and treat sunburns. You could also use it as an astringent.

10. Yerba Maté

With high levels of vitamins, antioxidants, potassium, zin, and manganese, yerba mate could help prevent and heal skin damage caused by free radicals.

11. Oolong

If you only need to choose one tea from this list of the best types of tea for skin, think about getting oolong tea. It has the properties of green tea and black tea. It could help repair skin damage caused by smoking and sun exposure. Oolong tea could also reduce dark spots and improve skin color

Ready to take better care of your skin? Stock up on the best types of tea for your skin and you won’t have to use chemicals and pills to have healthy, glowing skin.

]]>Aileen2017-05-19T00:00:00+00:00Tea Lifestylehttp://comparetea.com/thirsty-choose-right-drink-infographic
http://comparetea.com/thirsty-choose-right-drink-infographicAre you thirsty? Sometimes it can be difficult to decide which drink you should get, especially if you have lots of choices.

Here at Comparetea, we don't just share our passion for tea. We also want to help you find the perfect drink for whatever mood you're in and wherever you may be.

If you can't pick between caffeinated and alcoholic drinks, cocktails and shots, or wine and beer, here's a guide to help you decide.

Did you end up with "just get some tea?" but don't know which tea to get? Why not try oolong tea? Preparing it is easy! Check out this short video about making the perfect cup of oolong tea.

]]>Aileen2017-05-17T00:00:00+00:00Teawarehttp://comparetea.com/buy-gongfu-tea-tray
http://comparetea.com/buy-gongfu-tea-trayA Gongfu tea tray is an important part of the Chinese Gongfu Tea Ceremony. Because of the process of gongfu brewing, a tea tray with slats is important to catch water and keep the mess to a minimum while you're making tea.

Obviously, you'd want to buy a Gongfu tea tray if you want to follow the process of the Gongfu tea ceremony. But what if you're not? Is it still worth the money?

As you know, drinking tea isn't just about choosing the right tea and making the perfect cup. It's also about aesthetics and the actual experience of spending tea time with friends and family.

With a Gongfu Tea Tray, you can:

Display Your Teaware & Tea Accessories in Style

Tea time means taking out a few of your teaware and accessories. On average, you'd need about four things: teapot, tea cups, strainer basket, and a tea scoop. It could be more if you prefer an elaborate set-up.

Simply placing all these things on the table could create clutter. With a tea tray, you could set up your tools in a pleasing manner. It's a perfect way to clear up space, especially when you're mixing tea time with business – or pleasure like reading books or magazines.

As Gongfu tea trays are traditionally made of wood, you could easily match it with an array of styles and colors of teaware and tea accessories. You won't have to worry about adding more tools in your collection and you'd always have a tray to complement them with.

Catch Drips & Overflows Elegantly

If you're a bit on the clumsy side like many of us, drips and overflows are probably normal for you. Even if you're not, accidents could happen anytime –Like when you're having tea.

You don't have to worry about getting water all over your tray and table. A Gongfu tea tray has slats that drain the drips away and a receptacle that holds the water for you. You can enjoy your tea time and not fuss about those drips and overflows.

Have an Interesting Conversation Piece

Gongfu tea is an interesting topic to discuss especially when you're entertaining guests that are new to drinking tea.

While Gongfu tea is well-known among many tea drinkers, it may not be as popular to non-tea drinkers compared with say, the English tea ceremony.

Talking about the ceremony, process, teaware, and accessories is a nice way to get anyone started on their tea journey. And what could be a better topic to start it off than something they could actually see and appreciate – your beautiful Gongfu tea tray!

A Gongfu tea tray isn't just for having a traditional Chinese Gongfu tea ceremony. Use it for tea time with your friends and family regardless of the method you choose to have tea.

Buy a Gongfu tea tray and take your tea time to the next level!

]]>Aileen2017-05-15T00:00:00+00:00Tea Lifestylehttp://comparetea.com/9-mistakes-need-stop-drinking-tea
http://comparetea.com/9-mistakes-need-stop-drinking-teaMany people across the globe drink tea daily. However, not everybody knows how to make tea the proper way.

Yes, if you want to have the perfect cup of tea, you need to know how to make one the right way. You’re drinking tea wrong if you’re guilty of any of the following:

1. You use the wrong water temperature

Many of use boiling water for our cup of tea. Who doesn’t want a cup of hot tea, especially on a cold winter day, anyway?

Boiling water is okay if you’re making an infusion but if not, you could burn the tea leaves and affect the flavor.

For black tea leaves, you’ll know it’s the right temperature when the water really starts to bubble, which is around 85° to 95°C. For white tea, wait until you see a mist of steam, which means the temperature of the water is between 65° and 75°C.

The right temperature for green tea leaves is between the temperature required for white and black tea, which is 75° to 85°C.

2. You re-boil water for your next cup of tea

Water contains minerals and every time you boil a pot, you condense the minerals, creating a thin film on the surface of the water once they’ve cooled down. When drinking tea, the trick is to only boil enough to fill up everyone’s cup. Once you’re all done and you want more tea, you could always boil a fresh pot.

3. You heat up your glass teapot with hot water

Many people think splashing hot water in their glass teapot could keep the tea warm longer. This is only recommended if you’re using heavy stoneware. Besides, you wouldn’t need to keep the pot warm longer if you just boil enough for a single round of drinks (this is in reference to #2).

4. You add an extra teaspoon of tea leaves for the teapot

A common practice among people who love drinking tea is to use a teaspoon of tea leaves for every cup of tea. However, there's a saying that tells us that we should add an extra spoon for the pot. If you’re doing this, you’re wasting your precious tea leaves and making the flavor too strong.

5. You take the lid off the teapot while brewing tea

Too much oxygen gets into the leaves when you take the lid off and you wouldn't want that. However, you also don't want to "overstew" your leaves. A key thing to remember here is to be conscious of how long you're steeping your tea.

6. You let the tea leaves steep longer in the teapot

This, of course, depends on how bitter or strong you want your tea to taste. In general, it’s best to follow recommended steeping times to achieve the true flavor of your tea.

Steep white tea for one to three minutes. Green tea and darjeeling tea need three minutes to steep. Black, oolong, and pu-erh tea should steep for three to five minutes.

7. You press your teabag against the side of your cup

Squeezing the tea bag releases tannins, which could make your tea taste bitter. Simply take out the bag and put it aside.

8. You use a small tea strainer

Tea leaves expand. They need room to breathe and release their flavor. If you’re using a tea ball strainer, remember that it could only hold a teaspoon of tea leaves.

9. You don’t know when to add milk

Should you add milk or tea first in your cup? Yes, it could be confusing at first. This depends on how you’re making tea.

If you’re using a teabag, steep the bag first in your cup, take out the bag, then add the milk. Adding the milk immediately could let the fat from the milk block the leaves and affect the brewing process.

If you’re using a teapot, add the milk to your cup first, then pour the tea. The reason behind this is, if you pour the tea first and then add the milk, the temperature of the milk will cool down your tea. By adding the milk first, you’re warming it up with the temperature of the tea as you pour it in your cup.

These aren’t hard and fast rules for drinking tea but making sure you don’t do these common mistakes could help improve your experience and tea journey.

]]>Aileen2017-05-12T00:00:00+00:00Teawarehttp://comparetea.com/7-mothers-day-tea-gift-ideas
http://comparetea.com/7-mothers-day-tea-gift-ideasMother’s Day is just around the corner and if you’re looking for Mother’s Day gift ideas, you’ve come to the right place!

Let your mom relax on her special day with these tea gift sets.

1. TeaVivre Featured Tea Sampler Gift

This sampler tea gift set is perfect for moms who are just starting out on their tea journey and for those who have been drinking tea for a long time. The set includes some of TeaVivre’s bestselling tea varieties:

Premium Dragon Well Long Jing Green Tea

Fengqing Dragon Pearl Black Tea

Tie Guan Yin “Iron Goddess” Oolong Tea

Organic White Peony (Baid MuDan) Tea

2. Award Winning Teas Gift Set

Award winning moms only deserve award winning teas. This Award Winning Teas Gift Set includes tea varieties that have received awards from the North American Tea Championship:

Lemongrass Herbal Tea

Earl Grey Black Tea

Jasmine Green Tea

The set also comes with a double wall glass mug.

3. Pink Ultimate Brewing Tea Kit

This is probably one of the best Mother’s Day gift ideas on this list. With this brewing kit, your mom could use her favorite mug to make her –new– favorite tea. The kit includes:

A tea maker

A scoop

A pound of Belgian rock sugar

2 oz. of Youthberry & Wild Orange Blossom White Tea

2 oz. of Maharaja Chai Oolong & Samurai Chai Maté Oolong Tea

2 oz. of Jade Citrus Mint Green Tea

Peach Tranquility Fruit Tea

The Pink Ultimate Brewing Tea Kit costs $60. With these items, we’d say this is a good deal!

4. Economical Yixing Purple Clay (Zi Sha) Tea Set

This Yixing Purple Clay Tea Set has received a lot of positive reviews from buyers, making it one of the perfect Mother’s Day gift ideas around. It comes with:

1 teapot

1 pitcher

10 tea cups

1 tea strainer

1 tea strainer stand

With this Yixing Purple Clay Tea Set, your mom will be ready to serve tea to her friends and your family any time!

6. Jumpstart Tea Sampler

Help your mom start her busy days with a refreshing boost! The Jumpstart Tea Sampler from Teavana comes with a:

2 oz. Rev Up Black and Oolong Tea Blend

2 oz. Gyokuru Imperial Green Tea

2 oz. English Breakfast Black Tea

7. Glass Teapot + 12 Blooming/Flowering Tea

Your mom will definitely enjoy watching different varieties of flower tea bloom in a glass teapot with this tea gift set from Teavivre. The glass teapot and flowering tea set comes with 12 types of flowering tea your mom will absolutely love to try.

Make this Mother’s Day extra special by giving your mom tea gift sets from top tea brands on the market. While you’re shopping for her, why not buy tea online for yourself too?

]]>Aileen2017-05-10T00:00:00+00:00Teawarehttp://comparetea.com/10-cute-tea-accessories-definitely-buy
http://comparetea.com/10-cute-tea-accessories-definitely-buyShopping for tea accessories is one of the best things we, at Comparetea, love doing. Over the years, we’ve collected many tea infusers, tea pots, and tea tins.

We’re currently updating our collection and we’d like to share with you some cute tea accessories and teaware we’ve found.

1. Pure White Porcelain Tea Strainer

This dainty porcelain tea strainer is a perfect addition to your collection as it can match any color and style. With its size, you can place it on your work desk without worrying about your teaware taking too much space – and making you think about tea time when you need to work.)

The Pure White Porcelain Tea Strainer from Teavivre is made of ivory white (porcelain glaze). It has a tinge of yellow and a shiny bright look as the glaze contains Titanium oxide. Put it under the sun and you’ll notice a tinge of pink inside the glaze.

2. Stackable Tea Tins

Sure, we love our tea leaves but we also don’t want them taking over our entire cabinet. If you have too many loose tea leaves and not enough cabinet space, get stackable tins!

This one from Teavana wouldn’t just solve your space problems. It would also make your cabinet look stylish with its eye-catching designs and bright colors. In addition, the light-blocking, airtight stackable tins could keep your tea leaves fresh for a year.

Each stackable tin holds about 2 oz of loose tea leaves. The entire set could hold 6 oz of tea leaves.

3. Tuffy Tea Steeper

Tufffy Steeper from The Tea Spot is perfect for people who are always traveling. Made of silicone, this reusable, expandable, and durable loose leaf tea steeper is easy to store and use.

Make gourmet loose tea without worrying about spills as you could use the lid to catch the drips from the steeper.

The Tuffy Steeper is stain and heat resistant. It is also dishwasher-safe and BPA-free.

4. Steep & Go Cold Brew Infuser

Always on-the-go? Get Steep & Go and never miss your tea time again! It works with any standard disposable water bottle and is dishwasher safe. It is also BPA- free.

5. Laughing Maitreya Buddha Yixing Tea Pet

With its smiling face, potbelly, and relaxed sitting position, the Maitreya Buddha reminds everyone to have a pleasant and peaceful mood during tea time. Plus, it’s a great conversation piece, don’t you think?

Season the pet with a tea brush regularly. Over time, you’ll see that your tea pet has become glossier and smoother than the first time you had it.

6. Polka Dot Teapot Spoons

Tea time won’t be the same without these pretty polka dot teaspoons! Pair them with your white tea cups or color-match the handles with your tea cups for a fun, and colorful time with the ladies.

7. Slow Brew Tea Infuser

Living a fast-paced life could tire you down easily. This slow brew sloth tea infuser will remind you that it’s okay to take it slow once in a while. It’ll hang patiently in your cup or mug and won’t rush you into drinking your tea.

The tea infuser is BPA-free and heat resistant.

8. Matryoshka “Tea for Two” Set

Always brewing tea for two? This tea set for two is a perfect addition to your teaware collection.

With its cute design, this ceramic tea set for two is not meant to be kept inside your cabinet. Place it on the counter and it’ll always remind you to stop and take a tea break with a friend or your significant other.

9. Wenge Wood Tea Tray

Serve tea to your family and friends on this Wenge Wood Tea Tray. It comes with a water storage disc that catches spills so you won’t have to worry about stains on your table.

10. Citron Green Hobnail Cast Iron Teapot

If you’ve been wanting to get a cast iron teapot, this is a good choice.

The Citron Green Hobnail Cast Iron Teapot from Teavana comes with a removable stainless steel mesh infuser so you could conveniently make your favorite loose leaf tea with it. Porcelain enamel lines the interior of the teapot to prevent it from rusting. This means you’d enjoy making tea with it for a long time.

Ready to buy tea online and shop for teaware and accessories? Let us know what you ended up buying from our list and tell us all about your purchases!

]]>Aileen2017-05-08T00:00:00+00:00Teawarehttp://comparetea.com/choose-buy-right-teapot
http://comparetea.com/choose-buy-right-teapotChoosing and buying the right teapot is as exciting –and as challenging– as choosing and buying tea. While it may all boil down to your preference, considering certain factors could help you pick the perfect teapot for your next tea time.

Here are some tips to get you started.

Check the Material

You’ll find teapots made of different materials, such as glass, clay, ceramic, porcelain, and cast iron.

Common concerns among some tea lovers are flavor absorption and heat retention. Some teapots, such as those made of clay, absorb flavor. If you want to enhance your tea infusion, think about getting a clay teapot.

When buying a clay teapot, keep in mind that it’s not recommended to brew different types of tea with it. As the teapot absorbs flavor, brewing various kinds of tea could eventually affect the flavor of your drink.

What type of teapot should you use if you’re brewing a range of tea flavors? Safe and neutral options are glass and glazed ceramic teapots.

Think About the Size and Shape

For many tea lovers, the shape of the teapot relies on the type of tea you're going to brew. For instance, it's better to use a flatter teapot for aromatic types of tea, such as flower tea. For black tea and other types of "taste tea", such as Scottish breakfast tea, use the traditional round tea pot.

Some people are also particular about the size and height of the spout. According to some, it should be higher or even with the lid to avoid the mess of pouring tea and having it trickle down side of your teapot.

If you’re serving a huge group of people often, it might be a good idea to buy a big teapot so you could serve everyone with one brew. When making tea for two, consider getting a small one.

You wouldn’t want to worry about not having enough tea for everyone during tea time, do you? Choosing the right size of teapot is important.

Consider One With an Infuser

Not all teapots come with a strainer. Sure, it’s nice to let the leaves sit in the pot while you enjoy your cup of tea but that could easily lead to overbrewing.

A convenient way to make tea with a teapot is to use one with a strainer or brewer basket. The strainer allows you to remove the leaves after your desired brewing time and then re-steep later if you want more tea.

Your choice of teapot could affect the flavor of your tea and your overall tea experience. Pick the right one and you’ll always have memorable tea times with your family and friends.

Looking for more information on clay, porcelain, ceramic, cast iron, and glass teapots? Check back in a few days or follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date on our posts.

]]>Aileen2017-05-05T00:00:00+00:00Tea Typeshttp://comparetea.com/tea-leaf-grading-determining-quality-tea-leaves
http://comparetea.com/tea-leaf-grading-determining-quality-tea-leavesThere are different ways to check the quality of tea. One of which is through tea leaf grading. In this process, tea grades are determined based on the condition and harvested parts of the tea leaves.

You’ve probably heard of dust, fannings, and orange pekoe in your search for tea. In the tea world, these words mean different things.

Main Classifications

Orange pekoe and fannings are the two general classifications of tea in terms of leaf size.

Orange Pekoe

Orange pekoe is the highest grade of tea. It could be further classified into several kinds depending on the number of adjacent young leaves picked with the leaf bud.

High-quality orange pekoe tea types only come with the leaf buds and are handpicked carefully with the balls of the fingertips. When crushed, they turn into broken orange pekoe tea varieties, which are usually seen as lower-grade kinds of tea.

While this might be so, broken orange pekoe tea isn’t at the bottom of the grading system. They are still considered higher in quality than fannings and dust (which we will discuss later).

Orange pekoe also often refers to medium-grade black tea made up of mostly whole tea leaves of a particular size. In some places, however, orange pekoe is just any generic black tea.

Fannings

If whole leaves are to orange pekoe then small leave particles are to fannings. They are usually what are left after the higher-grade ones have been picked up and are labeled as the lowest grade.

In the past decades, fannings have become popular in certain regions, particularly in Africa and South Asia. Many people use tea infusers to brew fannings. Tea companies, on the other hand, typically sell fannings in tea bags.

Tea Grades

We’ve discussed the main classifications of tea. If you think it’s that simple, however, think again. Tea grades are further broken down into four groups and each group consists of a few more types.

Here are some differences among the main tea grades.

Whole leaf – also known as full leaf, whole leaf tea is often made up of end buds with two leaves attached together. Others have full buds with leaves (or leaf) attached to the stems. In terms of flavor, whole leaf is popular for their complexities and subtleties.

Fannings – This tea grade refers to finely broken tea leaves. While the pieces are significantly smaller than broken leaf, you could still notice their coarse texture

Dust – a dust-grade tea is composed of the leftover fine powder and smallest particles of the harvested tea leaves. Most tea bags sold on the market contain dust and fannings.

Now that you have a general idea of tea grades, it’ll be easy for you to choose quality tea varieties.

Want to learn more about tea grades? Check back regularly for our upcoming discussions of each tea grade.

]]>Aileen2017-05-03T00:00:00+00:00Tea Typeshttp://comparetea.com/brew-perfect-cup-oolong-tea
http://comparetea.com/brew-perfect-cup-oolong-teaOolong tea is a traditional Chinese tea known for its fine qualities. It comes in a variety of flavors. Depending on the style of production, an oolong tea could have a roasted aroma, a fruity aroma, or a flowery aroma.

In this video, Sarah of Mary Eats Cakes shows you the right way to brew an oolong tea. According to her, an oolong tea sits between a black tea and a green tea.

Ready to brew a cup of oolong tea the right way? Make sure to have the right temperature and don't forget your timer. Let us know how it goes. Enjoy your tea time!

]]>Aileen2017-05-01T00:00:00+00:00Tea Benefitshttp://comparetea.com/herbal-teas-common-ailments
http://comparetea.com/herbal-teas-common-ailmentsDid you know there's a specific type of herbal tea for your every ache and pain?

Check out this awesome infographic on herbal tea from HelloNatural.co.

Next time you feel ill, don't be too quick in grabbing that pain reliever! A cup of herbal tea could help you feel better.

Of course, if you're currently suffering from a condition or think your symptoms could be something serious, please consult your doctor. While a cup of tea could provide relief from pains and other ailments, a consultation with your doctor could give you better insights regarding your health.

]]>Aileen2017-04-28T00:00:00+00:00Tea Typeshttp://comparetea.com/need-know-white-tea
http://comparetea.com/need-know-white-teaWhite tea comes from the young leaves and buds of Camelia sinensis –where black tea, green tea, and oolong tea also came from. What makes white tea different from these types of tea is that it undergoes a shorter oxidation process.

What’s Oxidation Got to Do With Tea?

A lot.

Because white tea is minimally processed and has a low oxidation level, its flavor is more delicate than others. In general, the longer the oxidation process, the fuller (and darker in color) the flavor of the tea will become.

What are the Benefits of White Tea?

Relief from Common Colds and Flu

White tea contains a high level of Epigallocatechin gallate (Epiga-wut?)—let’s just call this EGCG. It’s a type of catechin that is powerful enough to kill viruses and bacteria like the influenza virus. EGCG also has anti-inflammatory properties, which helps fight off the inflammatory symptoms you experience when you have flu or colds.

Protection Against Colon Cancer

In 2003, the Oregon State University published a study on white tea and how moderate consumption of white tea could provide protection against colon cancer.

The study also discussed that regular consumption of white tea could be effective in combination with non-steriodal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). According to the paper, together, it could provide more protection than taking each separately.

Reduce Blood Pressure

One of the popular benefits of white tea is that it could lower your blood pressure. The flavonoids found in white tea leaves are the ones responsible for this. Apart from reducing blood pressure, white tea could also reduce your risk of certain cardiovascular conditions.

What Makes White Tea Stand Out?

If you’ve been searching for tea benefits, you’d have noticed that the white tea benefits discussed above are quite the same as the benefits of other types of tea. And they are.

The difference, however, is that white tea contains more polyphenols –a powerful antioxidant– than other kinds of tea. As white tea leaves are closer to their natural state than other tea leaves, they’re able to keep most of their natural properties.

Another main difference between white tea and other types of tea is that it contains lower levels of caffeine than others. Now, this could be a deal breaker for some but great news for others – depending on how much caffeine you want in your cup.

Again, because white tea has a lower oxidation level and went through lesser processing, its caffeine level is lower too. Let’s not mention the fact that it’s often brewed in a cooler temperature than other types of tea.

With its fresh and delicate flavor, white tea is one of the most popular types of tea on the market. Apart from the flavor, however, the health benefits of white tea are also well known among tea lovers.

If you’re looking for a new type of tea to add to your cupboard, buy white tea online today.

]]>Aileen2017-04-26T00:00:00+00:00Tea Lifestylehttp://comparetea.com/caffeine-tea-vs-caffeine-coffee
http://comparetea.com/caffeine-tea-vs-caffeine-coffeeNeed caffeine to get through the day but don’t want to overdo it? Knowing the level of caffeine in tea and in coffee could help you choose the right drink.

If you’re like most people, you need at least one caffeinated drink to boost your energy daily. Some would take a caffeinated drink in the morning and then another one mid-day to get them through the rest of their working hours.

While caffeine provides the energy boost you need, too much of it could be bad for you. That’s why many people are conscious about their caffeine intake. A common way to avoid taking in too much of it is to compare the caffeine in tea and caffeine in coffee.

Caffeine in Coffee

100 grams of brewed coffee grounds prepared with tap water has 40 milligrams of caffeine in it. 100 grams of instant coffee powder with water gives you 26 milligrams of caffeine while restaurant-prepared brewed espresso of the same amount has a whooping 212 milligrams of caffeine.

Caffeine in Tea

Caffeine in tea would depend on how much tea you use and how long you brew it. As an overview, the FDA has provided the following information:

100 grams of brewed tea prepared with tap or distilled water has 20 milligrams of caffeine. Lemon-flavored tea prepared and sweetened with sugar of the same amount without ascorbic acid has 124 milligrams of caffeine.

Oolong tea of the same amount brewed for three minutes has 20 milligrams of caffeine.

100 milliliters of oolong tea brewed for five minutes will give you 27 milligrams of caffeine.

We understand that all these numbers can be confusing and hard to remember. When choosing between coffee and tea, just keep in mind that for every 100 grams of brewed coffee, you get 40 milligrams of caffeine. 100 grams of brewed tea leaves, on the other hand, only gives you 20 milligrams of caffeine.

If you're trying to cut back on caffeine, switching to tea is a great idea. Green tea is the best choice as it has the lowest amount of caffeine among the three types of tea we discussed in this post.

]]>Aileen2017-04-24T00:00:00+00:00Tea Lifestylehttp://comparetea.com/tea-time-differences-chinese-british-tea-culture
http://comparetea.com/tea-time-differences-chinese-british-tea-cultureOne of the hottest topics among tea lovers is the differences between Chinese and British tea cultures. Comparing the two is almost unavoidable as China and the UK are two of the largest –and most popular –tea-drinking countries in the world.

It’s common knowledge that tea originated from China and then spread across the globe. With how crazy the Brits are for tea, however, you’d think it was them who discovered this all-famous drink.

So, how exactly are their tea cultures different from each other? Read on to find out.

Sources of Tea

When you’re in China, you’ll always have access to the freshest tea leaves as their tea is grown locally. British tea, on the other hand, is often imported from India and China.

Now, we have nothing against imported tea. When preserved well, they could be perfect for your tea time. But, preserved versus fresh? We’d always go for fresh –that is, of course, if we could afford to pack our bags and move to China.

For now, we’ll settle for high-quality imported tea.

Choices of Tea

China is blessed with an abundance of different kinds of tea. Some of the most popular choices are green tea (obvs!), black tea, herbal tea, yellow tea, and white tea. British tea are mostly black tea. Your options include Earl Grey (like duh!), English Breakfast, Ceylon, and Darjeeling.

Ways of Brewing

Another main difference between the tea cultures of the Brits and the Chinese is the way they brew their tea.

Depending on where you are in China, you’ll discover that each region has a different way of brewing their tea. Some would simply boil tea like how the rest of us do it while others pay closer attention to how long they boil their tea. There are also others who prefer to just soak the leaves in a cup of boiling water.

Another important factor when it comes to brewing tea the Chinese way is the kind of leaves you’re using. You can get the best flavor from your tea leaves by learning about them and finding out which method works best for them.

The Brits brew their tea the simpler way. Most of them just boil their tea for a few minutes.

Ways of Drinking

If the Chinese has complex ways of brewing their tea, the way they drink it is completely the opposite. Unlike the Brits –who often add sweetener and milk to their cup of tea–, the Chinese takes their tea without other ingredients. This makes sense as Chinese tea are stronger in flavor than British tea.

Additionally, most types of British tea work well with milk and sugar, unlike Chinese tea.

Tea Culture Traditions

Drinking customs are also different between these two tea-drinking nations.

Tea ceremony and tea art are the foundations of China’s tea culture. In a traditional tea ceremony, you need to be in a special environment to drink tea. Examples of places that are perfect for a Chinese tea ceremony is a small pavilion, bamboo groves on the mountains, or by a clear spring. You can also hold a Chinese tea ceremony in your garden.

For a traditional Chinese tea ceremony, you have to remember that the environment, the tea, and you should all be in harmon

British tea customs center on afternoon tea and high tea. In the old days, only the wealthy could afford tea. And since dinner isn’t served until around 8 PM, many would take a small meal in the afternoon that includes bread, biscuits, other pastries, and tea.

A traditional English afternoon tea often happens sometime between 2 PM and 4 PM.

High tea is the afternoon tea of the working class. It often takes the place of a proper meal. Unlike the afternoon tea of the wealthy, high tea happens between 5 PM and 7 PM. It often comes with a couple of hot dishes, ham, cold chicken, and salad.

While there are significant differences between Chinese and British tea cultures, we love all kinds of tea equally – as we know you do too! The next time the topic comes up among your tea-loving friends, remember, there’s no need to go on full debate about which is better.

Broaden your horizons and experience both tea cultures!

]]>Aileen2017-04-21T00:00:00+00:00Tea Benefitshttp://comparetea.com/green-tea-benefits-will-make-start-drinking-tea
http://comparetea.com/green-tea-benefits-will-make-start-drinking-teaDid you know that next to water, tea is the most consumed drink across the globe? Of all the types of tea available, green tea tops the list of the most popular and loved tea around the world. A lot of research has been done on green tea benefits.

With many scientists raving about it, green tea has become a staple drink of many people looking to have healthier lives. If you're not drinking tea yet, here are 10 green tea benefits that will make you want to start drinking today.

1. Assists in Weight Loss

Weight loss is one of the most popular green tea benefits people know about. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how green tea does it.

According to research, green tea contains polyphenols, which increases metabolism.

Of course, you have to understand that drinking green tea alone won't make you achieve your weight loss goals. It can help you lose weight but only if you also make healthy lifestyle changes.

2. Controls Cholesterol

A population-based study shows that men who drink green tea regularly are more likely to have lower cholesterol levels that those who don't. The University of Maryland Medical Center suggests drinking two to three cups of green tea daily. Doing so will give you about 240 to 320 mg of polyphenols.

If you'd rather take green tea supplements, monitor how much polyphenols you're taking in so you're getting the right amount.

3. Reduces Stress

Included in the list of green tea benefits is its relaxation effect.

L-theanine is an amino acid that you can only find in tea. It is responsible for the unique taste of green tea. Apart from that, it acts as a neurotransmitter and signals the brain to relax. L-theanine is also shown to decrease blood pressure.

4. Fights Signs of Aging

Green tea contains a lot of antioxidants, which fight free radicals –the major cause of aging.

Green tea prevents free radicals from breaking down collagen so your skin could continue looking young for a long time.

5. Reduces Risk of Cancer

According to numerous studies, green tea helps keep cells healthy in all their stages of growth. There are also several studies indicating that it could help reduce your risk of certain cancers, including cancers of the esophagus, breast, bladder, colorectal, lung, pancreas, and ovaries.

6. Promotes Oral Health

One of the unpopular green tea benefits you should know is its effect on oral health.

Green tea contains catechins, an antioxidant that can prevent dental caries and other oral health problems.

8. Controls Diabetes

One of the most common uses of green tea is the management of blood sugar levels. Experiments on animals show that green tea could prevent the development and progression of Type 1 Diabetes. Other studies also show it could help manage Type 2 Diabetes.

9. Manages Blood Pressure

Experts say green tea blocks the effects of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), an enzyme that could cause an increase in blood pressure. Regular green tea consumption could help you reduce and manage your blood pressure effectively.

10. Fights Against Bacteria and Viruses

Green tea's antioxidants are known antiviral and antibacterial agents. Research shows that green tea could help treat and protect you against a wide range of conditions.

With these many green tea benefits, it wouldn't hurt to add tea time to your daily schedule.

Start your tea journey with a few bags of green tea and tell us all about it!

]]>Aileen2017-04-19T00:00:00+00:00Tea Lifestylehttp://comparetea.com/history-tea
http://comparetea.com/history-teaThe history of tea dates back thousands of years and spans across various cultures. But it all started during the Shang Dynasty in China.

Did you know that it was first used as a medicinal drink? Hua Tuo provided a huge collection of records going as far back as 3rd century AD. Portugese priests and merchants were the first to try drinking tea in the 16th century. The Brits followed a century after and eventually, the rest of the world did too.

Myths

According to a popular legend in China, the legendary Emperor Shennong was drinking boiled water when a few leaves from a nearby tree were blown into his drink. He drank the brew and was surprised by its flavor.

In another myth, the Emperor was said to have used tea as antidote for some poisonous herbs. He was testing different types of herbs for their medicinal properties, when he found out some of these herbs were poisonous. He used tea to rid of himself of the poison.

Lu Yu, a famous Sage of Tea, also mentioned Emperor Shennong in his early works. According to the myth, Shennong, who was also known as the god of agriculture, would chew tea leaves to counteract any poison during his search for medicinal herbs.

Origins

It is said that you’ll find the world’s oldest cultivated tea tree at Fengqing County, Lincang City Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. Drinking tea as a stimulating drink and not as a medicinal concoction spread from there to Sichuan.

In Japan, drinking tea started during the 6th Century AD, Japanese priests and envoys visited China to learn about the drink. A priest named Saicho was said to be the first one to bring home tea seeds.

Tea was only initially available for the royals when Emperor Saga encouraged the cultivation of tea plants. Eventually, green tea became a staple among cultured Japanese. It was during the Meiji period when Japan started the machine production of green tea.

Tea arrived in the west in the 16th century through a Portuguese missionary who brought tea from China. It was in the mid 1600s when Peter Stuyvesant, a Dutchman, settled in New Amsterdam (now called New York) and brought tea to North America.

Modern Day

In the past, preparing tea meant compressing the tea leaves into bricks. It was in the Ming Dynasty when people started steeping tea leaves in water like how we do it today. In Japan, Nagatani Soen, a tea merchant invented the Japanese version of preparing team called Sencha. With this method, green tea was steamed, dried, and rolled.

Today, tea is one of the most popular drinks across the globe. On your next tea time, stop for a moment and be amazed at how far tea has come.

]]>Aileen2017-04-14T00:00:00+00:00Tea Benefitshttp://comparetea.com/effective-weight-loss-tea-green-tea-vs-black-tea
http://comparetea.com/effective-weight-loss-tea-green-tea-vs-black-teaGreen tea and black tea are two of the most popular and effective weight loss tea on the market. There is a long-standing debate, however, on which one is the best tea for weight loss and management.

If you’re trying to slim down and would like to boost weight loss by drinking tea, now’s the perfect time to think about which one you should use for optimum results.

Caffeine

Caffeine could increase your metabolic rate and your body’s ability to burn fat. Because of this, many people who are trying to shed off pounds or maintain their weight often increase their caffeine consumption.

When it comes to caffeine content, there is a clear winner between green tea vs. black tea.

An 8-ounce serving of black tea contains 14 to 70 mg of caffeine. The same serving of green tea, on the other hand, will only give you 24 to 45 mg of caffeine. This is according to Release 26 of the National Nutrient Database of Standard Reference prepared by USDA.

While we’re on this topic, remember that the recommended caffeine intake for adults vary depending on how healthy you are. Many doctors recommend, however, a daily limit of 100 to 200 mg of caffeine.

Catechins

An effective weight loss tea contains high amounts of catechins. According to a study conducted in 2009 on green tea, catechins have small positive effects on weight loss and weight management.

The results of another research on the catechin content of different types of tea show that green tea varieties have the highest levels of catechins.

Green tea wins in this category hands down.

Antioxidants

You might be wondering what antioxidants got to do with losing weight.

When you shift your focus to consuming food with high oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) scores, you’ll be losing weight without even trying. Most foods with high ORAC scores could help enhance your body’s metabolism. Many of them are low in calories too.

Tea has a high ORAC score. With regular tea consumption, you won’t be worrying about the harmful effects of free radicals, such as heart disease, wrinkles, and cancer. You’ll be losing weight too!

Green tea and black tea are both winners when it comes to antioxidant content. While content varies from brand to brand, overall antioxidant content of green tea and black tea is eight to ten times more than what you’ll get from fruits and vegetables.

Scientists and researchers still haven’t found out which one is really the most effective weight loss tea. However, it doesn’t really matter which type of tea you get. Both green tea and black tea offer a lot of health benefits. At the end of the day, you’ll come out as the winner regardless of the type of tea you choose to drink.

]]>Aileen2017-04-12T00:00:00+00:00Tea Typeshttp://comparetea.com/10-types-tea-try-lifetime
http://comparetea.com/10-types-tea-try-lifetimeWith hundreds of options on the market, tea is definitely a drink that you'll never run out of choices.

Here's a list of tea types you should try to get you started on your tea journey.

Hey, these are just 10 kinds. There are many more that you should try. Don't limit yourself. Explore and enjoy the world of tea. While you're at it, why not share your tea journey with someone? Tea time is best enjoyed with a friend.

We've all been there. Do you still remember when you had your first cuppa tea? We do! And that's also when we started our amazing tea journey.

Let's reminisce a little and remember that day. If you're just thinking about trying tea, you'll have fun watching this video too!

Check out how these people reacted when they had tea for the first time.

]]>Aileen2017-04-07T00:00:00+00:00Teawarehttp://comparetea.com/top-teaware-tea-accessories-cupboard
http://comparetea.com/top-teaware-tea-accessories-cupboard We hope you like our reviews and the products we feature. Just FYI, Comparetea collects a share of sales from the links on this post, which supports our work.

One of the most exciting parts of starting your tea journey –apart from finding the perfect cup of tea– is collecting teaware and tea accessories.

You know you’re in the home of tea lovers if they have any of the following items. If you’re new to the world of tea, don’t worry. Over time, you’ll be able to complete this list too.

2. Tea Infusers

If you want to try loose leaf tea, then you definitely need a tea infuser to go with your teaware. It’s a perforated container that holds your tea leaves. You place it in cup or mug of hot water and let it steep for a few minutes.

There are different types of tea infusers. Some of the most popular ones are tea infuser baskets and tea balls. They’re often made of stainless steel or silicone. Tea infusers also come in different shapes and sizes.

When it comes to tea infusers, you'll mostly find them in small sizes and cute shapes. We recommend, however, getting a bigger-sized ball or infuser to give the tea leaves enough space to unfurl. This way, you can get the most out of your tea and experience its full flavor.

3. Tea Cozies

Tea cozies are one of the best tea accessories on the market. They keep your tea warm for a longer period. You can also use them to dress up your teaware. With a cozy, you won’t have to worry about finishing your tea quickly to prevent it from getting cold.

Take your time and enjoy your warm cup of tea!

4. Tea Filter Bags

Tea filter bags are tea infusers made of cloth. There are disposable one and reusable ones.

Tea filter bags are perfect if you want to bring your own tea while travelling and don’t want to be bothered with bringing an infuser. You can prepare your tea bag before your trip and bring as many bags as you like with you. This more convenient than bringing a small tea container and an infuser.

With your tea filter bags, you can have your much needed tea time whenever you like.

5. Tea Boxes

Find your tea of the day easily with a nice-looking tea box! As you go through your tea journey, your tea stash will eventually grow. Who wouldn’t want to keep tabs of their growing tea collection?

A tea box makes it easier to know which flavors you still have and which ones you need to restock. Entertaining some guests? Let them choose what tea they like to try by showing them your stash.

With these tea accessories, you’ll always have an unforgettable tea time. Go ahead, start shopping for teaware! You know you want to!

]]>Aileen2017-04-06T00:00:00+00:00Tea Benefitshttp://comparetea.com/10-reasons-start-drinking-tea-daily
http://comparetea.com/10-reasons-start-drinking-tea-dailyDid you know that tea is the most consumed drink in the world next to water? The top three tea consumers across the globe in 2016 are Turkey, Ireland, and United Kingdom. It seems like these countries know a thing or two about drinking tea regularly.

Over the years, tea consumption has increased worldwide –and for good reasons. As people discover ways to have healthy lives, many have come to love tea.

If you’re not drinking tea, you should consider adding it to your meals daily. Why?

Here are reasons to start drinking tea everyday:

1. Drinking Tea Relaxes You

Everyday stress could easily add up and result in long-term negative effects for your physical and mental health. A small change in your lifestyle could help you manage stress effectively.

You can start by drinking tea to soothe your nerves.

According to a study conducted by University College London (UCL), black tea affects stress hormone levels in your body. Those who were given tea daily were able to de-stress more quickly after going through stressful conditions than those who received other types of drinks.

3. Tea has Antioxidants

4. It Could Help You Lose Weight

Tea contains ZERO calorie. If you’re trying to lose weight, drinking tea should be part of your daily routine. You can enjoy as many cups of tea as you like without worrying about your calorie consumption.

If you’re not looking forward to having water as your BFF when losing weight, choose tea. You can pick from a wide range of flavors and enjoy your favorite drink in two ways: hot or cold.

5. Tea Calms Your Digestive System

Drinking tea aids digestion. Thanks to the antioxidants, polyphenols, and flavonoids that they come with! Apart from promoting a healthy gut, it could also prevent inflammation.

One of the known benefits of drinking green tea is that it helps reduce gas and stimulates your intestines.

6. Drinking Tea Regularly Could Help Manage Sugar Levels

Regular tea consumption could help reduce your risk of developing diabetes. However, other factors also play a role in how likely it is for you to develop the condition. If you already have diabetes, drinking tea could support your maintenance regimen.

7. Tea Could Help Get Rid of Bad Breath

Bad breath is definitely a turn-off!

According to research, black tea contains properties that help limits the production for foul-smelling compounds in the mouth.

Next time that you’re not confident with your breath, try drinking tea. It could help!

8. It Could Improve Your Immune System

These herbal teas stimulate the production of interferons and white blood cells, which help fight against pathogens and infections.

Make sure to talk to your doctor if you’re suffering from any health condition and would like to use herbal tea with your medications. These drinks often have a diuretic effect, which could cause dehydration.

9. It Contains Less Caffeine Than Coffee

Too much caffeine could increase cortisol, the stress hormone. High cortisol levels could have negative effects in your body. If you can’t give up coffee and the caffeine that comes with it, choose a better alternative –tea.

10. Drinking Tea Could Protect You from the Harmful Effects of Smoking

According to studies, black tea could prevent oxidation of lung proteins caused by cigarette smoking. Of course, this shouldn’t give you reasons to start –or continue– smoking. It is bad for your health and no amount of tea could help reverse any damage that is already there.

With these many benefits of drinking tea daily, it’s time to start your quest to finding the perfect tea for you. You can start with some of the tea mentioned here. Green tea and black tea are two of the most popular varieties on the market.